Curtis Granderson was forced to hit inside in Tampa Tuesday because of a rainstorm. With the way the Yankees’ injury luck has been, he’s fortunate he still didn’t get struck by lightning.
Instead, the center fielder continues to progress and there’s a chance he could begin playing in extended spring training games this weekend and the Yankees are hopeful he may be back in the lineup within two or three weeks.
“I hope so, but when you’re rehabbing there are things you can’t predict,” manager Joe Girardi said of Granderson, who will need 40-50 at-bats before he’s ready to return to The Bronx. “He’s doing all the things we feel he needs to get ready for a game and hopefully we feel he’ll be in some games pretty soon. So far, we have not had any issues.”
But Girardi still refuses to have a definite plan for Granderson’s return.
“He has to say, ‘My arm is ready to play in games. My legs are ready to play in games,’ ” Girardi said before the Yankees’ 7-4 victory over the Astros Tuesday night. “So not until he gets in games and we see how he feels. I can’t tell you how long that’s going to be. Part of it depends on how long he spends in extended spring [training]. … It’s kind of a give-and-take thing. But he is getting closer.”
* The same can’t be said of Mark Teixeira.
Though the first baseman believed he would be back within the 8-to-10-week time frame since suffering a wrist injury before the World Baseball Classic, he remains far away from being ready.
“He hasn’t even started take batting practice or hit off a tee,” Girardi said.
Teixeira continues to only take dry swings and, like Granderson, will have to go through a long rehab process once he gets on the field.
“I would say 40-50 at-bats too, probably, because he hasn’t played a whole lot,” Girardi said.
* Alex Rodriguez still isn’t doing any baseball activity. Girardi said he is running on a treadmill and “getting stronger.” … General manager Brian Cashman said he didn’t believe Ivan Nova, on the 15-day DL with inflamed triceps, would be out an extended period of time: “Hopefully it’s not too long,” he said. … David Phelps will make his first start of the season tonight, filling in for Nova. He pitched four innings in relief when Nova left his last outing early.