MIAMI — The Yankees have their rotation set, with manager Joe Girardi eliminating any further debate yesterday by announcing Phil Hughes, Ivan Nova and Freddy Garcia would follow the top two starters, CC Sabathia and Hiroki Kuroda.
Hughes tossed four scoreless innings in relief last night in a 5-2 win over the Marlins to continue his strong spring.
“I just came in here wanting to throw the ball well,” Hughes said of his March expectations after last year’s fiasco. “I didn’t want to look too far ahead.”
But now he’s assured of starting in Tampa against the Rays on Sunday.
“I feel like I threw the ball well enough to be here,” Hughes said of his spot in the rotation.
Girardi reiterated just because everyone knows where they fit in the order now, they can’t expect it to stay that way, because Michael Pineda will be back at some point and Andy Pettitte continues to make progress.
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Nick Swisher hustled down the first-base line in the fifth to beat out a double play and said he didn’t feel any effects from the groin injury that landed him on the bench. “I didn’t even think about it,” he said. … David Robertson struck out two in a scoreless inning and believes he’s ready for the season after being slowed earlier in the spring with a bruised foot. “I needed a game like this before the season,” Robertson said. “My arm feels the way it should at this point.”
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Clay Rapada remains in the mix to be another lefty in the bullpen, to go along with Boone Logan. “He’s one of the left-handers we’re considering,” Girardi said of Rapada, who was competing with Cesar Cabral until Cabral suffered a fractured elbow. “It’s nice to have a couple of left-handers if you can afford to.”
Rapada and Logan, if they’re both on the team, would likely serve different roles. “When you look at Rapada, he’s more of a left-handed specialist,” Girardi said.
Girardi hasn’t made any decision about which, if any, of the young arms — D.J. Mitchell, Adam Warren and David Phelps — could be used as a long man. The Yankees also have to figure out what to do with outfielder Justin Maxwell, who is out of options. … Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen spoke highly of Derek Jeter: “My favorite player in the history of the game,” Guillen told reporters. “Nobody represents baseball better than that guy, Derek Jeter. Nobody. Not Mickey Mantle, not Babe Ruth, not Willie Mays… This guy is God, a baseball god.”