DUNEDIN, Fla. — The only thing that spends more time in a hitting cage than Raul Ibanez is the L-screen that protects the batting practice pitcher from getting drilled.
The veteran left-handed hitter is in the cage before, during and after games, constantly tinkering with his swing.
Thirteen games into his first spring training with the Yankees, Ibanez hasn’t found a comfortable groove at the plate. He is hitting .083 (2-for-24) after going hitless in three at-bats yesterday.
“A lot of it has to do with feeling comfortable and finding your timing,’’ Ibanez said after the Blue Jays beat the Yankees, 7-5, yesterday. “I am in between timing mechanics right now.’’
Ibanez characterized himself as a “slow starter’’ in spring training. By itself, the batting average wouldn’t draw attention because Ibanez is a veteran. But after being a regular player for most of his 16 years in the big leagues, the DH/outfielder will likely just face right-handed pitching.
Ibanez, 40 in June, has played some outfield this spring; he was in right field Saturday against the Braves and in left yesterday.
“Ideally you would like to do it all the time,’’ Ibanez said about hitting well. “But the last week to 10 days … you have to trust it’s going to come. It has happened to me before.’’
A spring training motto many evaluators live by is: Don’t discount veteran players doing badly in March.
Certainly, Joe Girardi isn’t concerned.
“It looks like a timing issue and he is a little late,’’ Girardi said of Ibanez, who signed a one-year deal for $1.1 million. “It’s very correctable. At times he is just a little late.’’