DUNEDIN, Fla. — If yesterday was Opening Day, Yankees bench coach Tony Pena would have caught CC Sabathia and manager Joe Girardi would have been the backup catcher.
Fortunately for the Yankees, the season’s first game is Sunday in Fenway Park, so they hope Jorge Posada and Francisco Cervelli will be ready.
Cervelli won’t catch today or in tomorrow’s spring training finale due to a Grade 1 left hamstring injury. He was slated to take batting practice yesterday in Tampa and didn’t. Posada made the trip to Dunedin Stadium to play the Blue Jays yesterday, but after a few swings in batting practice he was scratched due to a stiff neck.
“Probably a day or so and I should be all right,” Posada said of the neck ailment that kept the switch-hitter from batting right-handed.
Yet, there is a sliver of worry in Girardi’s mind.
“You hope it goes away by Sunday,” Girardi said. “Long-term, no. Short-term, you are a little concerned. By Sunday you want full range of motion. If he is OK, he will play [today].”
As for Cervelli, Girardi isn’t looking to shelve him.
“Right now he isn’t a DL guy,” said Girardi, whose second choice to back up Posada would be non-roster invitee Mike Rivera, but he hasn’t played since March 20 because of a hamstring problem.
Non-roster catchers P.J. Pilittere and stud prospects Jesus Montero and Austin Romine are possibilities if Cervelli or Posada can’t open the season.
Though Girardi said Cervelli was slated to hit and catch in the bullpen, he wasn’t among the group of hitters who took batting practice at George M. Steinbrenner Field yesterday morning. Cervelli, who missed time early in camp due to a concussion, isn’t scheduled to run today.
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Mark Teixeira played for the first time since getting hit on the right elbow Monday night and reported the hinge felt good. And David Robertson reported no problem with his left foot other than the cleats didn’t fit right.
“I was very blessed not to have anything worse, I felt really good,” said Teixeira, who wore a protective pad and went 2-for-4 yesterday.
Despite not feeling comfortable with the protection, Teixeira will comply with Girardi’s wish that his No. 3 hitter wear it “until it’s not sore at all.”
Girardi visited Robertson on the mound in the seventh when the reliever appeared to be favoring the right foot.
“I saw him shake his leg, his shoes were irritating his toes,” Girardi said.
Alfredo Aceves, who is battling a stiff lower back, is slated to pitch an inning today. If he gets through that, he likely will be on the Opening Day roster. . . . Joba Chamberlain threw for the second straight day and produced a scoreless inning.
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With his spring complete, A.J. Burnett can focus on facing the Red Sox on Tuesday night in Fenway Park.
“I am going to watch ’08 video instead of last year and get back to basics,” said Burnett, who was spanked by the Red Sox a year ago.
Two years ago as a Blue Jay, Burnett was 2-0 with a 2.60 ERA against the Bosox. Last season he was 0-2 with an 8.85 ERA in four outings.
Burnett gave up two runs and five hits in 4 2/3 innings.
“That was my best [of the spring],” Burnett said. “I threw some good hooks and good change-ups.”
Burnett emphasized developing a change-up this spring and said he believes in it enough that he says he will use it.
“It will depend on how it is that day,” Burnett said. “I have worked on it enough to have confidence and that is big. But I am not going to get beat on it.”