LAKELAND, Fla. — Raul Ibanez is entering his 15th big league season and will turn 40 in June, so he has been through spring trainings in which he didn’t hit and others in which he did.
Despite entering yesterday’s action against the Tigers at Joker Marchant Stadium batting .054 (2-for-37) without a home run, left-handed hitting Ibanez was in no danger of not making the Yankees as the designated hitter against right-handed pitchers.
Nevertheless …
“As an athlete you want to show what you can do and show yourself,’’ Ibanez said. “Not to impress, but to do the job right.’’
In the seventh inning, Ibanez hit Max Scherzer’s first pitch for a two-run homer to center that broke a scoreless tie in what became a 4-2 Yankees win.
For Ibanez, it was the beginning of a key stretch of spring training.
“[The final 10 games] is definitely the most important part. It’s kind of what you take into the season,’’ Ibanez said. “Especially going the way I was.’’
Extra work with hitting instructor Kevin Long had Ibanez feeling better yesterday.
“I was not feeling very good at all,’’ said Ibanez, who spends hours in the batting cage. “Kevin Long is diligent and the hardest working guy I have seen.’’
* Francisco Cervelli was hit by a pitch from Scherzer in the seventh inning below the left knee.
“Nothing happened,’’ Cervelli said. “Don’t write anything.’’
* Nick Swisher isn’t sure when he will return. The right fielder left a game Tuesday with a right groin problem.
“Sometime in the next two or three days,’’ Swisher said when asked about a return date. “We don’t want to push it. I am doing all the other things, running and working out.’’
* With second baseman Chase Utley suffering from injuries to both knees, the Phillies are looking for infield help and have an interest in Yankees utilityman Ramiro Pena.
* David Robertson said his right foot came through Friday’s simulated game okay and he expects to work an inning today against the Tigers in Tampa.
“It felt good. I wish my pitching was better,’’ said Robertson, who has worked just one game this spring due to a bruised bone suffered falling down stairs on March 7.
“I think I am on the list for [today’s] game,” Robertson said. “I hope I have a good outing and continue from there.’’
As for Friday’s workout, Robertson said there is work to be done.
“It wasn’t as good as I would have liked it to be,’’ Robertson said. “It was not up to my standards.
* Considering he took a ball off the shin in a minor league game Thursday, not seeing CC Sabathia show up for an 8:30 a.m. bullpen session yesterday created a small buzz. But it was simply a case of Sabathia getting the time wrong.
* Tomorrow is dark on the Yankees’ schedule but Phil Hughes is slated to work six innings in a minor league game at the Yankees’ complex in Tampa.