A-rod pining to get off the pine
ST. PETERSBURG – Alex Rodriguez is doing whatever he can to get back on the field. Having sat on the bench for a week, A-Rod spent the early part of his day Friday at Steinbrenner Field for some extra hitting, then took ground balls at first base during batting practice before Friday’s game.
A-Rod hasn’t been in the lineup since July 22, but the 41-year-old could be the Yankees’ designated hitter Saturday against lefthander Drew Smyly. He had a rare at-bat against a righthander Friday night, poking a pinch-hit single through the infield in the ninth.
“The one thing Joe did say is I’m going to get a shot,” Rodriguez said. “My job is to be as ready as I can when that shot comes. … The one thing I’ve learned is I know how to come back, you know?”
Girardi was noncommittal when it came to Saturday’s lineup, though A-Rod figures to start against the southpaw. The Rays will start another lefty, Blake Snell, on Sunday, leaving open the chance Rodriguez will start two games in a row.
As for the first base experiment, Girardi indicated last week that A-Rod would take ground balls in advance of Monday and Tuesday’s games at Citi Field when the Yankees won’t have the luxury of a DH.
“I don’t know if you can learn to play first base just by taking a few grounders,” Rodriguez said. “First of all, you’ve got to want to do it. And you’ve got to depend on your experience. Last year I played 151 games. I thought all my focus and the best way for me to help the team was hitting third and being the DH. I think this year is different.”
miller time to go?
So just what is the status of a potential Andrew Miller trade to the Nationals?
Well, the Nats with their shaky bullpen (Jonathan Papelbon), desperately need a reliable closer.
One of the players presumably in the deal would be Nats ace pitching prospect Lucas Giolito. The 6-foot-6 righthander is ranked as the team’s top prospect and Jon Morosi of MLB.com tweeted Friday that executives not associated with the Nats feel the Yankees could get Giolito straight up for Miller.
But with Miller in such high demand, it appears that the Nats would have to sweeten the pot to get the lefty reliever.
the dh situation
With A-Rod expected to DH Saturday, Carlos Beltran should be back in right field for the first time since July 22. Beltran could get a DH day or a complete off-day Sunday as he’ll have to play right field against the Mets on Monday and Tuesday to stay in the lineup.
setting things up
Girardi appears set to use Adam Warren, Chad Green and Luis Severino as multi-inning setup men to get the ball to Dellin Betances in the eighth. Could one of the three pitch their way into a full-time seventh-inning role?
“I think they could, but I kind of like the way it works because you use one and the other guys get a couple days,” Girardi said. “Then you get a couple days off and they’re fresh.”