ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Mark Teixeira went through another seemingly smooth day of rehabilitation at the Yankees’ minor league complex in Tampa, and the Yankees’ recovering first baseman hopes to return to action Sunday in even better condition than when he departed.
That’s because Teixeira, currently on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right adductor muscle (originally reported as a hamstring strain), believes this downtime has benefited the right wrist injury that caused him to miss nearly all of 2013.
“I think the biggest thing is, mechanically, I’m finishing my swings, which is very important,” Teixeira said Friday, after he went 1-for-5 in an extended spring-training game. “In the back of my mind, I’m not protecting [the wrist], which is good. Which is really good. In the first four games [before the injury], I definitely feel like I had some good swings. It was feeling pretty good. And the time off definitely helped.”
Playing for the “DiMaggios” against the “Riveras,” Teixeira went 0-for-3 hitting left-handed — a strikeout looking against Jose Ramirez and a fly out to right field and ground out to the right side (with the infield shifting) against Chad Taylor — and 1-for-2 right-handed, stroking a single to center field and lining out to centerfield against Ethan Carnes.
He also played first base for five innings and looked comfortable defensively.
“Another good day,” Teixeira said. “I couldn’t be happier with how it’s progressing.”
Teixeira will play in an extended spring game again Saturday for seven innings and seven at-bats and Joe Girardi, before Friday’s 11-5 loss to the Rays, expressed confidence the Yankees will activate Teixeira for Sunday’s game against the Rays, the first day the 34-year-old is eligible to come off the DL.
Who goes to make room for Teixeira is a dilemma Girardi isn’t ready to tackle until he has to.
Since Scott Sizemore, Dean Anna and Yangervis Solarte have options they can be sent out. However, Anna is the best shortstop of the three and Solarte has been productive at the plate.
That means Sizemore could be sent back to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Also at the Yankees’ complex, infielder Brendan Ryan (cervical spine nerve injury) participated in a simulated game, getting five at-bats. He will join in extended-spring at-bats every day starting Monday until the Yankees decide to advance him to the next step.
“They’ve hinted at 35 [at-bats]. It’s up to them,” Ryan said. “I certainly don’t want to disrupt anything, but I’m not trying to make a home down here.”
Yankees officials have said they don’t envision a Ryan return in April.
David Robertson (strained left groin) participated in pitchers’ fielding drills Friday and had no problems with the strained left groin that has him on the DL.
Robertson is slated to throw 25 pitches in an extended spring training game Saturday, take Sunday and Monday off and hopes to be activated Tuesday when the Yankees open a three-game series against the Red Sox in Boston.
Considering Brian Roberts missed three straight games with lower back spasms before going 3-for-5 Thursday night, eyebrows arched when the second baseman wasn’t in Friday night’s lineup.
However, Girardi said his plan before the four-game series against the Rays didn’t call for Roberts to play in all four games.
“Especially what he was coming off of,’’ Girardi said of the switch-hitting second baseman.
Roberts entered Friday night’s game as a pinch-hitter in the eighth and fouled out.
If lefty Vidal Nuno isn’t needed Saturday night, he is the logical choice to start Sunday.
“If you are going to lean toward somebody it would probably be Nuney,’’ Girardi said. “But we have to see what we need the next two days.’’
Nuno wasn’t used Friday night.
David Phelps took a Ryan Hanigan liner off his belly above the right hip.
“It’s not bad, there is one spot tender to the touch,’’ Phelps said. “It’s right above the hip bone; sweet meat.”
Solarte fouled a ball off his left leg in the seventh inning and was limping noticeably, but stayed in the game. He had an ice pack attached to his leg after going 1-for-3 with a walk.
Michael Pineda’s batting practice home run landed deep in the left-field seats and drew a round of applause from those around the batting cage Friday afternoon. Yankees pitchers will have to hit May 9-11 in Milwaukee, when the designated hitter will not be used.