Kevin Long watched Alex Rodriguez hit balls to all fields and over walls Wednesday morning during a batting practice session and gushed about a hitter the Yankees not only need to return from the disabled list but supply production from the middle of the order.
“For where we are in the process he looks great,’’ the Yankees hitting coach said of Rodriguez, who took BP for the second straight day.
Rodriguez has been out since July 24 with fractured right wrist. Tuesday, he was cleared to take batting practice on the field.
“I am not sure,’’ Rodriguez said when asked how many more BP sessions he would need before playing in some sort of game — either minor league or major league. “We are going to talk about it.’’
Long said he was impressed with everything.
“He is driving balls all over the place, the ball is coming off the bat great, the bat speed is good and he looks very comfortable right now,’’ Long said before the Yankees’ 8-5 loss Wednesday to the woeful Blue Jays.
How much do the Yankees miss Rodriguez? With Mark Teixeira out due to a left calf injury, the Yankees batted Steve Pearce and Russell Martin, fourth and fifth, respectively Tuesday night and Andruw Jones cleanup Wednesday.
Rodriguez also ran the bases and fielded grounders at third base with coach Mick Kelleher watching. According to Kelleher, Rodriguez felt no pain when catching grounders.
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If Joba Chamberlain is going to be a help to the Yankees in the final month he needs two things: regular work and better command.
Working for the first time in eight games, the right-handed reliever allowed two of the three runners he inherited to score in the ninth inning. Of the four batters he faced, one doubled in two runs, one got hit, one fouled out and the final one fanned.
“It was obviously nice to get out there. It doesn’t matter the situation. I felt like I was more aggressive,’’ said Chamberlain, who has a lofty 8.59 ERA in eight appearances.
In 7 1/3 innings, Chamberlain has allowed 16 hits, four walks and hit two batters. “Obviously I have to continue to get out there to prove to them and prove to my teammates and everybody else that the ability is there to get people out. Obviously it hasn’t been great, but this is a start.’’
The double he gave up to Yunel Escobar could have been caught but wasn’t by a sliding Andruw Jones in right.
“You make your pitch and you move on,’’ Chamberlain said.
Jones injured his glove (left) hand diving for the fourth and final hit by Escobar, who drove in five runs.
“It’s all right, my fingers went back,’’ said Jones, who gloved Adam Lind’s sinking liner leading off the sixth but had it roll under his body. “It will be all right. It didn’t hurt in the last at-bat.’’
Jones singled home a run in the first, walked in the third, popped out in the fifth, fanned in the seventh and popped to short for the final out.
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Derek Jeter’s fielding error in the first inning was his first since July 8, stopping a 38-game errorless streak.
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Twenty Special Olympians from The Bronx joined Yankees players at their positions Wednesday for the National Anthem.