TAMPA — Lyle Overbay has three days to show the Yankees he is a better option at first base than Juan Rivera.
In reality, that won’t be difficult because Overbay’s glove skills are above average and Rivera is an outfielder pressed into first-base duty because of Mark Teixeira’s wrist injury.
Overbay was signed to a minor league contract by the Yankees hours after the Red Sox released him yesterday. The 36-year-old left-handed hitter can leave Friday if he doesn’t like the chances of making the club when the roster is set at 3 p.m. Sunday.
“I know they have been watching me,’’ said Overbay, who has a .955 career fielding percentage, seventh highest among MLB first basemen with at least 1,000 games played at first since 2003.
“He has been a very good first baseman over the years, and he is going to get an opportunity to show us what he can do,” manager Joe Girardi said of Overbay, who has played with Arizona, Milwaukee, Toronto, Pittsburgh, Arizona and Atlanta and is a career .270 hitter.
Overbay entered last night’s 4-4 tie with the Astros in the seventh inning and is on the travel list for tonight’s game against the Orioles in Sarasota.