ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — After sitting out Friday night’s game with a sore left shoulder and right wrist, Carlos Beltran was in Saturday night’s lineup as the Yankees’ designated hitter against the Rays.
Beltran, who went 0-for-3 in the Yankees’ 16-1 thumping by the Rays, suffered the ailments running into and over the right-field fence in foul territory at Tropicana Field on Thursday night.
“Of course, a lot of things could have happened,’’ Beltran said when asked if he felt fortunate he weren’t seriously injured. “I’m lucky. It’s a lot better. It’s not 100 percent but [Friday] I went to the cage and hit during the game.’’
Beltran said there is a possibility he would return to right field Sunday and manager Joe Girardi seconded that.
“I wasn’t so sure he would be feeling better this quick,’’ Girardi said. “I wasn’t sure how he would feel.
The Yankees will have right-hander Bryan Mitchell in uniform for Sunday’s game against the Rays. Mitchell, who turned 23 on Saturday, was 1-2 with a 5.14 in three starts for Double-A Trenton this year.
Mitchell could replace Matt Daley in the bullpen or fill in for Ivan Nova, who left Saturday’s game with an elbow problem and underwent tests.
Derek Jeter wasn’t in the lineup. Instead, Dean Anna (0-for-3) played short — until he relieved in the ninth inning, allowing the Rays’ final two runs.
It was the fifth game Jeter hasn’t started in 18 games this season.
“Just a day [off],’’ Girardi said. “He will play [Sunday].’’
With the Rays starting lefty Cesar Ramos in the series finale, Girardi didn’t want to play Jeter and then use the lefty-swinging Anna on Sunday.
Vidal Nuno is in line to make his first start of the season Sunday. The left-hander has pitched in three games this year. It would be the former Frontier League pitcher’s first big league start since May 30, 2013. He allowed two runs and five hits in a six-inning relief outing against the Rays on May 25.
“I think he would be good for seven [innings],’’ Girardi said.
Struck by Ryan Hanigan’s liner above the right hip Friday night, David Phelps sported a light bruise Saturday and said he was available out of the pen.
“[Phelps] has a bruised belly, but he is all right,” Girardi said.
Former Mets outfielder Roger Cedeno was at Tropicana Field to watch his nephew, Yangervis Solarte play for the Yankees for the first time.
“This kid is so exciting,’’ Cedeno said. “I have never been this excited since my daughter was born. I told to him to work hard and enjoy the game.’’
Daley, a Flushing native, was summoned to the big leagues late Friday night to replace Cesar Cabral in the Yankees’ bullpen.
Daley, who pitched at Bucknell, appeared in seven games for the Yankees last year and has worked 99 big league games, 92 with the Rockies.
The 31-year-old right-hander was 1-1 with a 5.40 ERA in four games for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre before being promoted.
Daley was called up late last year, so this is a little more important.
“To get called up early means they like what they’ve seen,’’ said Daley, who last pitched Thursday and had three days off before that.
Daley’s first taste of the big leagues in 2014 was sour. In 1 ¹/₃ innings, he gave up six runs (four earned) and five hits.
Brendan Ryan’s hamstring barked, so he was limited to six at-bats in a simulated game instead of playing in an extended spring game.
“His leg was a little sore so he did some simulated at-bats,’’ Girardi said of the middle infielder, who is on the disabled list with a neck problem. “Hopefully next week he will get into games. The hamstring was a little tight.’’
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Cabral was the 21st Yankees pitcher to hit three or more batters with a pitch in a single game. The team record is four set by lefty Tommy Byrne on July 5, 1950 against Philadelphia.
Cabral hit all three batters in the eighth inning Friday night and was ejected by Joe West. The Yankees have 10 days to trade or release Cabral if he isn’t claimed on waivers.
Friday night, Girardi wanted nothing to do with talking about West’s decision to eject Cabral, and he didn’t have much to say about it a day later.
“I have never seen a guy thrown out when they didn’t feel it was intentional,’’ Girardi said. “I’ll leave it at that.’’
Particularly galling to Girardi is that he needed to use closer Shawn Kelley for the final out of an 11-5 loss.
Alfonso Soriano, according to Elias Sports Bureau, has hit 21 homers and driven in 54 runs since rejoining the Yankees last July 26. That was the most homers in the majors during that stretch and he is tied for third in RBIs.
Alfredo Aceves made his first minor league start for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Friday night. The former Yankees pitcher, who was signed before the start of the regular season after spending spring training with the Orioles, worked five scoreless innings against Lehigh Valley.