MLB

CLEMENS LIKELY TO MAKE MINOR LEAGUE START FRIDAY

SEATTLE – If Roger Clemens comes through tomorrow’s bullpen session in Tampa without a problem he will make a minor league start Friday and start the clock ticking toward Rocket II.

“We are figuring he will probably start Friday,” Joe Torre said. “That will be based on how Tuesday goes.”

Clemens will hurl for Single-A Tampa against Ft. Myers. Should that go well he would go five days later for Double-A Trenton versus Portland. If the Yankees and Clemens decide two minor league gigs is all he needs, the first day he would be able to start a big league game would be May 28 when the Yankees are in Toronto. Should Clemens require a third minor league game on that date, his re-entry into the Yankees’ universe would come on June 2 in Boston.

“We don’t know if it will be two or three (minor league starts),” said Torre, who doesn’t think Clemens will require more than three.

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Jason Giambi is hitless in 18 at-bats and hurting according to Torre.

“It’s bothering him,” Torre said of the bone spur in Giambi’s left foot.

While today’s off day should help Giambi, it’s not out of the question he could receive a cortisone shot to kill the pain that forced him to limp yesterday running out a grounder in the fourth inning.

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Torre will be at his brother Frank’s side today at Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital. Torre is taking advantage of the dark day on the schedule to visit his brother who is recovering from kidney transplant surgery.

“He is being taken care of and like I said, he has good days and bad days,” Torre said. “It’s going to be a long process because of the seriousness of the surgery and what goes with it.”

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Late Saturday night after a 7-2 win, Torre toyed with the idea of resting Johnny Damon against lefty Horacio Ramirez. Yet, when the lineup card was posted for yesterday’s tilt Damon was in center field and leading off.

“We took everybody’s temperature and they seem fine,” said Torre, who earlier Saturday said he might give Bobby Abreu’s ice-cold bat a break, but didn’t.

Having no game today made it easier on Torre to play his normal lineup. The only regular sitting was Doug Mientkiewicz, who was replaced by the right-handed hitting Josh Phelps at first.

Abreu went 0-for-3 and is hitting .236. Robinson Cano dropped to .237 with a 0-for-3 game. Damon did show life, going 2-for-4.

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Lefty reliever Ron Villone can opt out of his minor league contract tomorrow and agent Scott Boras said there is ample major league interest in the veteran who is in Triple-A. With two lefties – Sean Henn and Mike Myers, who is pitching better lately – it’s not likely the Yankees have room for Villone in their bullpen.

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Derek Jeter’s fielding error in the sixth inning yesterday broke a 23-game errorless streak by the shortstop, who made six errors in the opening 11 games of the season.