BRADENTON, Fla. — The sight of Mark Teixeira shaking his left hand after the Pirates’ Nick Evans knocked the ball out of the first baseman’s glove wasn’t a comforting one for the Yankees dugout.
Teixeira came off the bag to take Robinson Cano’s throw and his tag of Evans resulted in the ball coming loose and Teixeira looking at his hand during the Yankees’ 7-4 loss to Pittsburgh yesterday.
“I jammed my thumb a little bit,’’ said Teixeira, who stayed in the game for another at-bat after the incident.
“The throw was right at me. I hit him too hard and jammed the thumb.’’
Teixeira wasn’t the only victim yesterday. Francisco Cervelli and plate umpire Chad Fairchild were hit by Brandon Boggs’ back swing. Cervelli was hit on the hand but not injured.
And Derek Jeter took a pickoff throw at second in the left arm, but said it wasn’t a big deal.
* Hiroki Kuroda starts today against the Rays at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
“I feel like I have a good idea what I’m going to see,’’ Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “But I still want to see it.’’
And there is a lot to see, according to Girardi.
“Locate, change pitches, change speeds,’’ Girardi said of Kuroda, the right-hander who signed a one-year deal for $10 million. “You are going to get the kitchen sink.’’
Girardi announced Kuroda as a member of the rotation before the exhibition season began, which left four hurlers competing for three spots behind CC Sabathia and Kuroda.
* Joba Chamberlain threw a bullpen session yesterday that consisted of only fastballs. He will progress to breaking balls on flat ground Sunday.
* Eduardo Nunez is expected to play today against the Blue Jays. Nunez left Monday’s game against the Phillies with a bruised right hand after getting hit by a pitch.
“I plan on playing him,’’ Girardi said.