TAMPA — The ice pack strapped to Alfonso Soriano’s throwing shoulder was a sign that all is not OK with the Yankees’ outfielder/designated hitter.
“I started it last week, about five days ago,’’ Soriano said of the postgame ice program. “It was a little tight because I hadn’t thrown in so long.’’
A nasty flu slowed Soriano at the start of camp and the shoulder only hurt when throwing, not hitting.
“There are enough games left, time to get stronger,’’ said Soriano, who started Tuesday night’s 6-0 loss to the Phillies at George M. Steinbrenner Field in right field and went 0-for-3. “I want to make sure on Opening Day I am 100 percent. I get a massage before the game and ice after the game. Saturday will be the last day because Opening Day is Tuesday and I don’t want to do nothing.’’
Even if Jacoby Ellsbury doesn’t play in a major league spring training game from Wednesday to Saturday the Yankees’ projected center fielder and leadoff hitter believes he will be ready for Tuesday’s season opener in Houston.
“I have been running the last few days very hard, I feel very confident,’’ Ellsbury said about being in the lineup against the Astros in Houston. “I feel I could hop in there and play right now and be ready to. I feel I will be ready.’’
Ellsbury, who hasn’t played since March 14 due to a right calf problem. Tuesday he went 1-for-4 and walked twice in a minor league game between Yankee teams from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Double-A Trenton.
Ellsbury didn’t play the field and didn’t run the bases after walking and lining a single to center off right-hander Jaron Long, the son of Yankees’ hitting coach Kevin Long.
The Yankees might keep Ellsbury away from big league games for the remainder of the exhibition season. This way if he re-injures the calf he can be back-dated on the DL to March 21. If he suffers an injury in a big league exhibition Ellsbury can’t be back-dated.
Since he isn’t on the traveling squad for the trip to Dunedin, Ellsbury will play in a minor league game at the complex Wednesday.
In the wake of losing catcher Geovany Soto for 10 weeks with a knee injury, the Rangers, according to a person with knowledge of the club’s thinking, inquired about Francisco Cervelli. However, the Yankees told the Rangers he wasn’t available. Cervelli is about to be named Brian McCann’s backup.
The Yankees sent John Ryan Murphy to the minor leagues Tuesday. That leaves Austin Romine as the only other backup candidate and he is slated to split time with Murphy at Triple-A.
Girardi believes Brendan Ryan will have a hard time avoiding starting the season on the DL, and the backup shortstop agrees.
“You can’t roll in the season with eight at-bats,’’ said Ryan, who hasn’t played since March 4 due to back and neck issues which required a cortisone shot this past Saturday. “It’s not responsible for the team. And I have taken only a handful of balls on the field.’’
With Ryan, who can be back-dated to March 21, starting the season on the shelf, the Yankees likely will choose two infielders from a trio if they don’t make a deal.
The infielders are Eduardo Nunez, Dean Anna and Yangervis Solarte. Nunez and Anna are on the 40-man roster; Solarte isn’t.
Carlos Beltran has hosted two separate team parties this spring, one for the Latin minor leaguers and this past weekend for all the Yankees minor leaguers at the pavilion at Steinbrenner Feld.
Beltran has done different events with other teams, but never anything to this extent. “It was really good,’’ Beltran said. “I just wanted to give them a little message about our experience as minor leaguers and what we went through. Sometimes they see you as where you are now and don’t realize you went through the same thing, that there can be difficult times, but with hard work and dedication and sacrifice, you can accomplish your dreams.’’