Drew Henson is back with the Yankees, The Post has learned.
Henson, a greatly hyped two-sport star who got nine big-league at-bats with the Yankees and played briefly in the NFL with the Cowboys and Vikings, will be a coach with the Yankees’ Rookie League team in Tampa next year.
Henson is currently working at the Yankees’ minor league complex helping out with the Instructional League program for minor leaguers.
“He is a bright guy with high integrity who has been through a lot,’’ minor league head Mark Newman said of Henson, who was a two-sport high school star in Michigan and was named Gatorade High School Player of the Year in baseball for the 1998 season when the Yankees took him in the third round even though he was committed to play quarterback at Michigan. “One thing that’s intriguing is that he has had a lot of life experiences to this point. For no other reason other than that, maybe he can help the young guys.’’
Henson, 32, played in three games for the Yankees in 2002 and five games a year later. He went a combined 1-for-9 and returned to football. During his minor league days with the Yankees he also played quarterback at Michigan, which likely stunted his development in baseball where scouts drooled over the right-handed power that came out of a 6-foot-4, 235-pound body.
He was taken in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL draft by Houston and was dealt to the Cowboys for a third-round pick in 2004. Henson played briefly for Bill Parcells but moved to the Lions and Vikings before retiring in 2009.
According to Newman, Henson’s return to the Yankees started with a series of calls from Henson.
“He called and we talked over the course of the past six or seven months,’’ said Newman, who explained that Henson, who is also involved in a financial planning company, is moving full time to Tampa and will be working year round.
* Eduardo Nunez as the DH last night against Red Sox lefty Jon Lester was a hint that Andruw Jones’ spot on the postseason roster is in jeopardy.
In the last five games started by a lefty, Jones hasn’t been in the lineup for three of them.
“He is swinging the bat pretty good,’’ manager Joe Girardi said of Nunez, who has 11 hits in his last 36 at-bats (.306). “The one thing it does is he is my backup infielder which you worry about, but I like the way the kid is swinging the bat.’’
The same can’t be said about Jones, a lineup staple against lefties who hasn’t hit them well in the second half. Jones had two hits in the last 18 at-bats and whiffed twice with runners in scoring position against Blue Jays lefty Ricky Romero Saturday in Toronto.
Jones, who was hitting .198 before last night, was batting .188 (12-for-64) versus lefties.
* Girardi talked with Hal Steinbrenner Monday and yesterday. Steinbrenner on Monday said jobs weren’t riding on what happens in October but explained everything will be looked at the end of the season.
Girardi said his job status wasn’t discussed.
“I don’t worry about it and I don’t expect him to relay anything. I have a job to do and I understand what my job is and go to work,’’ Girardi said.