MLB

Pen for Hughes would require a rotation rewrite

BOSTON — Phil Hughes is manager Joe Girardi’s scheduled starter Tuesday against the Angels at Yankee Stadium — unless the right-hander is needed out of the bullpen tonight against the Red Sox.

“If I need him depending what kind of game it is,” Girardi said of possibly using Hughes out of the pen for the first time this season.

Hughes is scheduled to throw a regular bullpen session today to prepare for Tuesday, but with the way Freddy Garcia, tonight’s starter, has struggled against the Red Sox this season, Hughes might be needed in relief. Garcia is 0-2 with a 10.29 ERA in two starts against Boston this year. For his career, he is 8-4 with a 4.82 ERA in 19 games (18 starts) against the Red Sox.

YANKEES-RED SOX BOX SCORE

If Hughes pitches tonight, Ivan Nova would be inserted into Hughes’ spot Tuesday (the Yankees are off tomorrow) and add more confusion to Girardi’s six-man rotation. Girardi hasn’t named a starter beyond A.J. Burnett on Wednesday.

Garcia (10-7) is on a three-game winning streak and has won five of the last six decisions. However, he has beaten the Reds, Brewers, Rays, Mariners and Orioles during the six-game stretch and lost to the Blue Jays.

None of those clubs have the muscle of the Red Sox. On May 15 at Yankee Stadium, Garcia gave up five runs (four earned) and six hits (two homers) in 5 1/3 innings of a 7-5 Yankees win over Boston. On June 7 at the Stadium, the Red Sox chased him in the second inning with four runs and four hits.

“They have hit him this year. This is a lineup that can hit anyone,” Girardi said. “Freddy has been pretty consistent for us and those two starts weren’t as good as the other ones. I have a lot of confidence in what Freddy can do [tonight].”

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The Yankees have some interest in veteran lefty Arthur Rhodes, but on a minor league deal. Rhodes was designated for assignment this past week by the Rangers. Rhodes has held left-handed hitters to a .216 batting average this season.

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Jorge Posada was spotted with ice attached to his right hand after Friday night’s game. Posada said the wrist was sore from swinging, but that didn’t prevent him from being the designated hitter yesterday, when he went 0-for-4 in the Yankees’ 10-4 loss to the Red Sox.

Posada has three hits in his last 18 at-bats.

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According to Elias Sports Bureau, Robinson Cano started yesterday’s game with the fifth highest batting average at Fenway Park for a visiting player with a minimum of 200 at-bats: .360 (85-for-236). That’s the highest all-time by a Yankee with at least 200 at-bats.

Cano went 0-for-3 with a hit-by-pitch yesterday.

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After going 1-for-5 with an RBI yesterday, Derek Jeter has 3,001 hits while playing shortstop.

He is the first player since Willie Mays finished with 3,184 hits as a center fielder to have 3,000 hits at one position.

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CC Sabathia, who is 0-4 against the Red Sox this season, is the first Yankee to have four or more losses to Boston in a single season since Pat Dobson in 1975.