Headley among vets setting an example
Chase Headley had no way of knowing at this time last year, he was riding a bobsled to Hitter’s Hell without a brakeman. In the third leg of a four-year deal worth $52 million, the switch-hitting third baseman spent spring training trying to tighten up his defense after committing a career-high 23 errors in 2015. The extra work resulted in Headley making just 10 errors last season. And when the six-month season was over, Headley’s .253 average, 14 homers and 51 RBIs were in the neighborhood of his career digits. Yet, across the first 19 games, Headley batted .150 (9-for-60) with a .268 onbase percentage and a .418 OPS. By May 5, his average was .151 after 23 games. Headley didn’t homer last season until May 12.
With so much being made of the Yankees counting on youngsters Gary Sanchez, Aaron Judge and Greg Bird, manager Joe Girardi emphasized in spring training his veterans needed to provide the neophytes cover.
It is something Headley has done through the f irst seven games, hitting .375 (9-for-24) with two homers, three RBIs and a 1.150 OPS.
“It feels better than a monthand-a-half last season,’’ Headley has said several times.
Headley’s second homer of the year gave the Yankees a 3-0 lead in the seventh inning of Monday’s 8-1 home-opening win against the Rays. He a d l e y, who turns 33 e a rly next month, is n’ t the o n ly veteran carrying his weight. Jacoby Ellsbury is hitting .348 (8-for-23). Brett Gardner is at .267 but has a .353 on-base percentage, has scored six runs and is 5-for-5 in stolen-base attempts. Matt Holliday is batting .364 (8-for-22) with f ive RBIs. Starlin Castro is hitting .310 (9-for-29).
Kyle Higashioka caught the ninth inning of Monday’s win over the Rays at Yankee Stadium. He didn’t get an at-bat, but he has several memorabilia items to mark his major league debut.
In the ninth inning a foul ball landed behind the Yankees’ dugout, and Girardi made a deal with the person who caught it: two game-used balls for the foul ball. The deal was completed, and Girardi saved it for the catcher who spent nine years in the organization without sniff ing the big leagues until Sanchez got hurt Saturday in Baltimore and is expected to miss a month.
“That’s pretty cool. I didn’t realize that,’’ Higashioka said Monday of his manager securing something from his f irst big league frame.
With general manager Brian Cashman saying the Yankees aren’t looking for a catcher with big league experience, the plan is for Austin Romine and Higashioka to share the catching duties until Sanchez is healthy.
The Yankees were awaiting word from L.A., where James Kaprielian’s right elbow was scheduled to be examined by Dr. Neal ElAttrache late Tuesday afternoon Pacific time.
Kaprielian, the Yankees’ top pitching prospect, has undergone an MRI exam and a dyecontrast MRI on the elbow, which bothered him between the end of spring training and the start of Single-A Tampa’s season.
Since Kaprielian pitched in just three April games for Tampa last year, due to a flexor tendon problem, the Yankees are concerned something else has surfaced in the area.