TAMPA — CC Sabathia is putting more stock in his left elbow feeling good than the results of a five-inning stint Tuesday night in the Yankees’ 4-4 10-inning tie with the Astros at George M. Steinbrenner Field. In the outing, he gave up four runs, six hits and three walks.
It was Sabathia’s final spring appearance.
“I feel good, I stayed healthy,’’ the Yankees’ Opening Day starter said when asked to analyze his spring.
PHOTOS: YANKEES SPRING TRAINING
In what could have been a preview of the Yankees’ Opening Day battery, Chris Stewart caught Sabathia.
Last year, manager Joe Girardi paired Stewart and Sabathia together 18 times, and used Russell Martin just 11 .
After Martin caught Sabathia in the first two games, Stewart worked with Sabathia in the following 16 games. Martin caught Sabathia in 11 of the final 13, including all three of Sabathia’s postseason outings.
* Juan Rivera, an outfielder who has played 106 of 1,058 big league games at first, likely lost his starting job and roster spot yesterday when Vernon Wells became the Yankees’ starting left fielder and the team signed veteran first baseman Lyle Overbay to a minor-league deal.
* Hal Steinbrenner gave some radio interviews to ESPN Radio and WFAN Tuesday on the state of the Yankees.
The Yankees owner told ESPN’s Michael Kay the team expects to be under the $189 million luxury-tax threshold in 2014, but also disagreed with the perception that his desire to win is not as strong as his late father, George.
“There were many years when fans and other people weren’t too happy with my dad, so the door swings both ways,” he said. “I absolutely have a desire to win. Everyone in my family does. I’m just a little bit more quiet in terms of my demeanor. That doesn’t mean I won’t sit upstairs at my house and throw a shoe at the TV, believe me.”
* Nick Saban, the coach of two-time defending college football champion Alabama, visited last night. Saban spent considerable time in Girardi’s office.
* Wells was assigned No. 56.
“They told me I could get a lower [number] when the season starts,’’ said Wells, who was aware Lawrence Taylor wore 56 which is the same number bench coach Tony Pena wears.
* Dellin Betances, projected to pitch in the rotation at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, took a ball off the leg Tuesday in a minor league game and was removed from the game.