MLB

Teixeira: McCann ‘a perfect fit’ for Yankees

The addition of catcher Brian McCann didn’t just thrill Yankee fans – it put a smile on first baseman Mark Teixeira’s face, too.

“I love ‘Mac,’ what a great player, what a great teammate — he’s going to be really good for our clubhouse,” Teixeira said on the YES Network of the former Braves catcher, who agreed to a five-year, $85 million deal with the Yankees on Saturday. “He’s going to have no problem playing in New York because he’s a nice guy, he’s a fun guy.”

Teixeira was McCann’s teammate for parts of 2007 and 2008 in Atlanta.

“Brian McCann is a perfect fit for our stadium, a perfect fit for our ballclub,” Teixeira said.

Getting Teixeira back in the lineup should help, too. The power-hitting first baseman missed all but 15 games last year after injuring his right wrist in early March preparing for the World Baseball Classic with Team USA. He returned May 31 after missing 53 games and underwent surgery to repair the tendon sheath in his wrist July 1.

Teixeira will spend the rest of 2013 doing strengthening exercises and “slow-swinging” drills to make sure the range of motion in his wrist is there. He hopes to be “swinging full-speed” by January, facing the 90 mph pitching machine by February and playing in Spring Training games at the beginning of March.

“That first game against Justin Verlander in Lakeland, he throws me 95 mph on the inside part of the plate, I want to drop the head [of the bat] on the ball,” he said. “And even if I don’t get a hit or hit a home run off it, I want to know I can have a really strong, quick move on an inside fastball at 95 and have no pain or tightness. Once I do that, I know I’ll be fine for the season.”

Teixeira was asked whether he’s worried opposing pitchers will not look to attack him inside, and he smiled.

“Please come on in here, I love it when guys try to come in and I can use that short porch at Yankee Stadium,” he said. “It’s one of those things, I need to prove to myself I’m healthy and once I’m healthy, it should be business as usual.”