MLB

Teixeira, Andino let incident ‘slide’

BALTIMORE — Long before Josh Rupe drilled Russell Martin in the back, Mark Teixeira and Orioles shortstop Robert Andino got cranky with each other.

According to Andino, Teixeira’s slide into second base in the first inning included an upward movement of the shoulder into the shortstop.

“He slid and came up with the shoulder,” Andino said after the Yankees’ 15-3 victory over the Orioles at Camden Yards. “I said, ‘Hey relax, I am just putting the tag on you.’ We talked at first base and everything is cool.”

Teixeira downplayed the incident.

“We got tangled up and the throw put him right on top of me,” said Teixeira who went 2-for-3. “It’s no big deal.”

CAPTAIN’S QUEST FOR 3,000

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Thursday is the day Phil Hughes hopes to take a big step toward rejoining the Yankees’ rotation.

After completing a lengthy bullpen session yesterday before the game, the right-hander said he is ready for a rehab assignment.

“The plan right now is to start a minor league game in five days,” Hughes said.

Hughes has been on the disabled list since April 15 with a dead arm issue that began in spring training and caused his velocity to drop from 94-mph last year to 89 in three awful starts this season.

Yesterday’s program was the most intense workout he has done since being shelved.

“I long tossed and went through a full-game warm up of 45 pitches,” Hughes said. “Then there was three sessions of 15 [pitches] or so.”

Hughes has said several times he won’t know if the life has returned to the arm until he works a game. Yet, he was pleased with yesterday’s results.

“It feels better, but you have to wait until you get in a game situation,” said Hughes, who is 0-1 with a 13.94 ERA and has given up 19 hits and four walks in 10 1/3 innings. “You have to get out there in a competitive atmosphere. I expected to not have any issues and that’s what I accomplished. I was encouraged by today. There was no soreness, not fatigue and no deadness. It felt better. It felt like there was more in my arm.”

“Larry felt that he got stronger, and that’s not what we saw in his last start. It seems that this time has been beneficial,” manager Joe Girardi said. “He’ll do another long toss and a side on Monday and we’ll make a decision after that.”

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The Yankees are very careful not to overwork Mariano Rivera. Wednesday in Toronto, Girardi avoided using the closer because Rivera had pitched in five games across seven days. Nevertheless, Rivera hasn’t worked since Tuesday against the Blue Jays because Thursday was an off day, Friday night was rained out and last night was a blowout.

“It’s good, but it throws off your rhythm,” Rivera said of the inactivity. “It affects you whole body.”

So how much rest is ideal?

“One day is good,” Rivera said. “It’s easier to pitch more than with [several] days off.”

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MLB drug testers invaded the Yankees’ clubhouse yesterday and collected urine samples before the game.

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Brett Gardner snapped an 0-for-16 slide with a second inning double and homered in the eighth.

Jorge Posada hit his sixth homer, which is two-thirds of his hit total.

“It’s not the way I want to feel right now,” said Posada, who went 1-for-5 and is in a 3-for-22 slide.

Francisco Cervelli could be off the disabled list by Wednesday.

“He played [Friday]. He had four at-bats,” Girardi said of the catcher who has been on the shelf with a fractured left foot since early in spring training and is with Single-A Tampa. “He’s catching [yesterday]. He’ll be off [today]. We talked about him possibly trying to catch a couple of days in a row so maybe he’ll catch Monday and Tuesday if he’s up to it and then we’ll make an evaluation,”

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A scout who watched Kevin Millwood‘s start yesterday for Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre reported the veteran right-hander’s velocity didn’t reach 90 mph.

“It was a decent outing,” the scout said. “He left several fastballs up in the zone that were hit hard” the scout said. “The velocity was only 86 to 89 [mph].”

Millwood hurled a complete game (seven innings) in the first of a doubleheader against Syracuse. He allowed two runs, seven hits, walked one and fanned six.

Signed to a minor league contract at the end of spring training, Millwood can opt out of the deal May 1 if he isn’t in the big leagues.

At this point that’s not likely to happen with the Yankees unless they feel Ivan Nova, who has been ineffective in the last two starts, needs to be sent out.