LAKELAND, Fla. — Alfonso Soriano still is experiencing the after effects of the flu and hasn’t yet played in an exhibition game.
The Yankees outfielder/DH said Friday he will play in a game “soon’’ but admitted he is experiencing dizziness.
Soriano missed the first four days of full-squad workouts with the flu and has been limited to batting practice since being cleared to resume activities.
With Brett Gardner in left, Jacoby Ellsbury in center and Carlos Beltran in right, Soriano will serve as the DH and a part-time outfielder unless there is an injury.
With scouts from the Diamondbacks, who are looking for a backup catcher, on hand, two Yankees catchers played well in a 7-4 victory over the Tigers.
Austin Romine took over for starter Brian McCann, who homered, and went 1-for-2. Gary Sanchez, who was the DH, had three at-bats and homered.
“That’s the first spring training homer I have ever hit,’’ said Sanchez, who is the unlikeliest Yankees catcher to be dealt from a group that includes John Ryan Murphy, Francisco Cervelli and Romine. “I am working hard to belong. We will see. They are the ones who will call me up or not.’’
Two MRI exams on Jose Ramirez’s back and midsection came back negative, but the right-hander, who had a solid chance of breaking into the Yankees bullpen out of spring training, said he was concerned with the situation that developed Wednesday when his back locked up while he was preparing to enter a game against the Pirates in Bradenton, Fla.
“I don’t feel so good, it’s the same,’’ Ramirez said of the problem that shelved him for two months last year in the minor leagues. “I feel it. It’s kind of exasperating that this happened.’’
According to manager Joe Girardi, the MRI results were encouraging.
“They came back good, he is sore though,’’ Girardi said. “A lot of times we talk about you have to treat the symptoms, not the MRI. Sometimes the MRI will come back, and if I was to MRI your back you would probably see a bulging disk, but if you have no symptoms, we have to treat the symptoms. I can’t exactly tell you what it means or how long he will be down, but he is down right now.’’
Joba Chamberlain didn’t hesitate when asked if he knew when the Tigers visit The Bronx.
“It’s August, a four-game series, Monday through Thursday,’’ the former Yankees reliever said Friday in the Detroit clubhouse.
The Tigers are at Yankee Stadium, Aug. 4-7 and face the Bombers in Detroit on Aug. 26-28 for three games. Somewhere in those seven games, Chamberlain likely will face Derek Jeter.
“Is that even a question? Of course,’’ Chamberlain said of facing Jeter before he retires. “That’s the way you play this game to face the best. He has an idea what I am going to do and I have an idea what he is going to do. Hopefully I have that chance and we can have this conversation to see how it went.’’
Chamberlain said he was surprised Jeter announced his retirement but praised the Yankees captain for his contribution to the game.
“For everything he has done for this game he deserves to go out on a high note,’’ Chamberlain said. “It’s been awesome to be his teammate and awesome to call him my friend.’’
Chamberlain, who the Yankees had no interest in bringing back after a miserable 2013 season, didn’t face them Friday because he pitched Thursday.
Justin Verlander said watching Jeter fade away after this season will be a downer for the game.
“It’s gonna be sad for the game of baseball to see him leave, especially for the guys who have been around a long time,’’ the Tigers right-hander said. “He’s been a mainstay in the game. He’s been a great ambassador for the game, a class act, on top of being a Hall of Fame player. He’s done it the right way, that’s why he’s so mutually respected by everybody in the game.
“You will see that this year when he’s doing his farewell tour. The admiration and respect that he’s going to get is right up there with Mariano [Rivera] who we all respected to the utmost.”