YANKEES NOTES

“He sent over a bat, signed. He didn’t have to do that, but he did,” recalled Davies, a 31yearold righty who pitched with Atlanta and Kansas City. “A lot of people have pitched and they need some arms. Larry [ pitching coach Rothschild] asked me if I was ready to pitch and I said ‘ yes.’ … It’s been a long road, 2011was the last time I pitched. I didn’t play in 2012. With no team or anything I had to rehab my shoulder. It’s a good moment forme, actually.”

Said manager Joe Girardi, “We know that we have length from him. He’s been a starter. He was going to start in Triple-A. A strike-thrower, he understands how to pitch at this level, he’s pitched at this level, he’s been a starter in the big leagues. We know that he’s not going to be nervous the first time he goes out, which sometimes you might get with a young kid. We need distance in our bullpen, and that’s what he can provide.”

The Yankees have put up a lot of ugly offensive numbers. And that includes Carlos Beltran, who had just two hits in his first 20 at bats (. 100) before Sunday’s game against the Red Sox.

“There’s nothing that I see necessarily,” Girardi said. “Does his bat speed look different to me? No. It’s just he’s gotten off to a slow start. Hopefully the consistent atbats will get him going.”

It’s one thing to make mistakes. But it’s the mistakes the Yankees are making that might ruffle Girardi.

“I don’t like them, I can tell you that. I’ve seen mistakes that are worse. Peoplewant to try to figure out exactlywhy it has happened,” Girardi said. “Sometimes I think people try too hard. Bottomline is you’ve got to get them to relax.”