TAMPA — Brett Gardner still thinks of himself as a center fielder.
“If we played a game today, I’d feel more comfortable running out to center field than I would in left,” Gardner said outside the Yankees’ minor league complex yesterday. “They know I’m comfortable playing center field and they know I’m comfortable playing left field. It doesn’t matter where I play.”
That’s good, since while there have been discussions within the organization to move the speedy Gardner to center and Curtis Granderson to left, Joe Girardi said a switch isn’t in the works.
“If we were going to make a change, we would make it pretty early in spring training to see how they worked together,” Girardi said at a press conference at Steinbrenner Field. “Right now, we have no plans to do anything.”
Among the reasons the manager cited were Granderson being forced to adjust to an unfamiliar spot and whether that would also impact his offense.
“I know that idea was thrown up in the offseason, but you’re talking about a guy that’s really important to our lineup,” Girardi said of Granderson. “Sometimes, I think a position change affects the bat. Do you want to do that?”
Right now, at least, he doesn’t.
In the past two days, however, both players have been willing to move if asked. Girardi, though, said he also is concerned with how the two would play together in new positions.
“It would take time for [Granderson] to learn left and together are they as good as Curtis in center and Gardner in left?’’ Girardi said.
For now, Gardner is more focused on just staying on the field than where he plays.
After being limited to 16 regular-season games a year ago because of a right elbow injury, the 29-year-old is expected to be in the everyday lineup.
“I probably rushed it back a little bit last year to get to the playoffs, but I felt great when I played,” Gardner said of his injury, which he says is fully healed. “It’s completely in the rear view mirror, which is a good thing.”
He’s hoping to take advantage of a full season alongside Ichiro Suzuki.
“I just want to learn from him and try and figure out why he’s been so successful,” Gardner said. “He’s a guy I really look up to. … It’ll be fun to play with Ichiro for a full year.”
Now, he just has to last that long.
dan.martin@nypost.com