Manager Joe Girardi said he is hopeful to get Martin Prado back from a strained left hamstring Friday or Saturday.
Nevertheless, Girardi said Prado ran at only half speed in the Yankee Stadium outfield grass Thursday and that won’t cut it. Prado said he needs to be 100 percent.
“He did some work, he ran at 50 percent and will hit in the cage. Hopefully we get him back [Friday or Saturday],’’ Girardi said of the infielder/outfielder who left Tuesday night’s game. “It’s 50 percent and that you can guard so obviously we will have to amp that up to make sure he is OK.’’
Prado’s absence from Girardi’s lineup is a blow since he is hitting .381 (24-for-63) with four homers and 11 RBIs in his last 16 games. In his last 59 at-bats, Prado has 23 hits [.390].
“I don’t know. Just do everything they want me to do. I don’t want to go be the hero and get it worse,’’ said Prado, when asked if he would be ready by the weekend. “Just depends. … Just give it another day to make sure [Friday] I can be 80-85 percent.
Prado, who said he didn’t feel anything running Thursday, doesn’t have experience with this type of an injury.
“We are doing everything we can to make sure I feel as close as I can to 100 percent. I don’t want to be a hero and not play until the end of the season. Rather lose a couple days and make sure my legs are OK to play last 20-25 games,’’ Prado said before the Yankees beat the Red Sox 5-4. “But like I said, game speed is going to be different. You are not going to go 50 percent. I don’t want to go 50 percent. If I am not 100, I’m not going to go. I just jogged. Game speed, it’s not even close.
Masahiro Tanaka played catch with pitching coach Larry Rothschild and is slated for a bullpen session Saturday. Even if the Yankees run out of regular-season dates, Tanaka is going to pitch somewhere so the Yankees know where they stand with the right elbow that may or may not require Tommy John surgery.
“He will pitch somewhere, he has to throw,’’ Girardi said of Tanaka, who hasn’t worked a big league game since July 8 in Cleveland and last week complained of body soreness after the second simulated game. “You can’t wait until next spring.’’
Rawlings presented Derek Jeter with a large comfort leather chair made in the shape of a fielding glove before the game.
Yankees club president Randy Levine talked about Jeter after participating in a panel discussion at the Bloomberg Sports Business Summit.
Asked if the Yankees were cashing in on Jeter during his final days as a player with the club, Levine said the procedure has been done in good taste.
“I think we’ve done it the Yankee way, the right way. I think Derek Jeter’s a great player, we’ve honored him as a great player. He deserves the day we’re giving him on Sunday. He deserves the patch. He’s an iconic Yankee so I think we’ve handled it appropriately,’’ Levine said. “We’re very careful and Derek has a lot of dignity and he understands. His whole career he’s held himself in the perfect way and he understands and we respect that. He’s a great star and people want to celebrate him and be close to him and the Yankees and this is a memorable event so they’re very conscious of honoring his legacy.’’
Levin refused to talk about a report the Yankees will retire Jeter’s No. 2 Sunday, which is Derek Jeter Day.
“You’ll see what happens on Sunday. I’m not going to comment,’’ Levine said.
Yankees bench coach Tony Pena might get the chance to see his son, Francisco, play for the first time as a big leaguer this weekend since Francisco was a September call-up for the Royals who are in The Bronx Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
“I have never seen him before. He’s happy. It’s exciting. Anytime you see your kid in the majors it’s special. He signed when he was 16 with the Mets. Now he’s 24,’’ said the father, whose son is also a catcher. “The whole family is going to be here. He’s the baby. We’re very close family. He can be really good. [Kansas City], it’s funny. Junior (Francisco’s older brother) played with K.C., I was there and now Francisco. There’s a lot of history for us there. I’m proud to see the progress he has made. Not only as a catcher, but in all facets of the game.”
Former Red Sox and Yankee outfielder Johnny Damon was on the field during batting practice. Damon was at the Stadium to meet sponsors in the suites.
Asked if he were here to hit third, Damon said, “Those days are gone.’’
Out since Aug. 4 with an inflamed right elbow, David Phelps said he hopes he comes off the DL next week.
“I throw a [35-pitch] bullpen [session Friday] and a simulated game Sunday,’’ said Phelps, who was in the rotation before the injury but will work out of the bullpen when he returns. “After [the simulated game] we will reassess and go from there. I hope so.’’
In 26 games [17 starts], Phelps is 5-5 with a 4.24 ERA.
Thursday night’s 5-4 come-from-behind victory was the Yankees 34th of the season and the 10th time they came back from three runs down.
When Antoan Richardson entered the game as a pinch-runner for Zelous Wheeler in the seventh inning, he was the 56th player used by the Yankees this season. That ties the franchise record set a year ago.
Brought up to add speed to the bench, Richardson was on the move when Jacoby Ellsbury lined to center. Richardson didn’t pick up the ball and was doubled off first.
Jeter’s two-run double in the third inning was his 540th career two-bagger and tied Dave Winfield and Joe Medwick for 32nd place on the all-time list. With 1,917 runs scored, Jeter is two shy of tying Alex Rodriguez for ninth place on the all-time list.
—Additional reporting by Fred Kerber