MINNEAPOLIS — Houston lefty Wandy Rodriguez was put on waivers Friday, and if not claimed he will clear today. Though the Yankees backed off Rodriguez as the Aug. 1 trade deadline approached, they have been following the cash-dumping Astros, who are looking to move him.
The Blue Jays have an interest, too.
At the trade deadline, Freddy Garcia hadn’t cut his index finger, Bartolo Colon had won two straight and A.J. Burnett hadn’t fallen deeper into the abyss.
Rodriguez has $23 million coming across the next two years and some clubs are wary how his stuff would do in the American League.
Rodriguez, 32, is 9-9 with a 3.31 ERA for the worst team in baseball.
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According to an MLB executive, Oakland right-hander Rich Harden has been claimed/blocked by several teams, including the Yankees, who had a scout at Harden’s recent seven shutout innings against the Blue Jays.
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Mark Teixeira‘s fielding error in the third inning ended a streak of 87 straight games without a boot.
That was the longest error-free stretch of Teixeira’s career. He has made three this season.
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Derek Jeter went 1-for-4 and is within three hits of tying Rod Carew for 22nd on the all-time hit list. Carew has 3,053.
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Robinson Cano went 1-for-4 and extended his season-high hitting streak to 13 games.
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The Yankees are solid bet playing without lights. Yesterday’s win raised their record to a MLB-best 34-8 under the sun.
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Garcia is scheduled to pitch in a game for Scranton / Wilkes-Barre (Triple-A) tonight and work four innings or throw 65 pitches.
If Garcia’s right index finger comes through OK he will start one of the two games in Baltimore Saturday.
Garcia hasn’t pitched in a big-league game since Aug. 7 in Boston due to a cut on the finger that was the result of a kitchen accident that Garcia refuses to discuss publicly.
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Aaron Laffey was one and done. Claimed on waivers from Seattle on Friday, the lefty pitched three innings Saturday night and was optioned to Scranton yesterday to make room for Alex Rodriguez‘s return from the DL.
“He is a guy we think can help us against left-handers as we move forward,” manager Joe Girardi said.
The 26-year-old will work on facing lefty swingers at Triple-A until the rosters increase Sept. 1.