HOUSTON — Brett Gardner picked the perfect night to protect his right arm with a guard for the first time ever Tuesday evening, and had it strapped on again Wednesday night.
“If I wasn’t wearing it who knows what happens,’’ Gardner said before the Yankees’ 3-1 loss to the Astros at Minute Maid Park. “If I wasn’t wearing it the ball could have hit me and I might have to miss time.’’
Gardner was talking about being hit by a Scott Feldman pitch on the edge of the guard in seventh inning on Opening Day.
The ball glanced off the guard and left a small welt north of the elbow.
“I don’t know, I felt like I needed to,’’ Gardner said of the decision to wear the guard. “I didn’t feel it [while swinging].’’
In Wednesday night’s loss Gardner went 1-for-3 and scored the Yankees’ lone run.
The general consensus among baseball officials is Eduardo Nunez will be traded or claimed on waivers.
Nunez was designated for assignment Tuesday, and the Yankees have 10 days to trade him or release him. If Nunez clears waivers he can be sent to Triple-A.
According to manager Joe Girardi, Brendan Ryan hasn’t begun doing baseball activities in Tampa. He is on the DL with a disk problem in the neck.
Ryan, who hasn’t played in a game since March 4, is likely out until May 1 since it has been almost a month since his last at-bat.
Mark Teixeira and Girardi were encouraged the way the switch-hitting first baseman swung the bat in Tuesday night’s 6-2 loss to the Astros. And for Teixeira it went beyond the two late singles, one of which drove in a run.
Wednesday night it wasn’t so pretty since Teixeira went 0-for-4, fanned three times and whiffed twice with runners in scoring position.
Jacoby Ellsbury said he doesn’t know when he will receive the World Series ring he won last season with the Red Sox but it could be as soon as April 10 when the world champions visit Yankee Stadium for the first of four games. Ellsbury still is looking for his first hit as a Yankee.
“They invited me to go to the White House but we had a game,’’ Ellsbury said of the Red Sox who were hosted by President Obama Tuesday.
It’s the first time since 1965 the Yankees and Mets each started the season 0-2. This is the third consecutive season the Yankees have gotten off to an 0-2 start.
One inning of relief in a loss isn’t enough to start talking about Dellin Betances becoming a key piece of the Yankees’ bullpen.
Nevertheless, the Grand Street Campus High School (Brooklyn) product carried a sensational spring training into the regular season Tuesday night when he worked a scoreless seventh, fanned two of three batters and nine of his 10 pitches were for strikes.
“He threw strikes, got ahead and then threw the curveball,’’ Girardi said. “He’s got big stuff. He could have a big impact.’’