It sounds as if Alex Rodriguez will be back in the Yankees’ lineup tomorrow night when the rematch of last year’s World Series begins.
Rodriguez has missed the last three games with right hip flexor tendinitis, but the team hopes he can play against the Phillies.
“My hope is we’ll have him [tomorrow],” manager Joe Girardi said. “I can’t tell you exactly what that would be, if it’s a DH or possibly a full-fledged player.”
Rodriguez has not spoken with reporters since Friday night, so it is hard to gauge how the Yankees’ $275 million man is feeling. He left Thursday’s game in Baltimore with stiffness in his leg. An MRI exam on Friday showed tendinitis.
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Chad Huffman made his major-league debut yesterday after getting called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to take Marcus Thames’ spot on the roster. Thames was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right hamstring.
Huffman, 25, wasted no time recording his first hit. He had an infield single in the third inning.
He ended the day 1-for-4 with a strikeout and one base-running blunder, when he got caught in a rundown at third base.
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Jorge Posada’s grand slam was his 251st career home run, moving him past Graig Nettles into sole possession of seventh place on the franchise’s all-time list. . . . The Yankees have six grand slams this year, best in the majors and double what they hit last year.
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Robinson Cano’s fourth-inning home run was the 100th homer of his career. He is the third second baseman to reach that plateau in Yankees history, behind Tony Lazzeri and Joe Gordon. . . . Mark Teixeira made his first error of the season. . . . Reliever Alfredo Aceves (back) threw off flat ground before yesterday’s game, his first baseball activity in almost three weeks.