Mark Teixeira is not in Friday's lineup against the Reds.
Just a day for Teixeira, who has been sick since the first week of the season and is batting just .234 with five homers and a .669 OPS through 37 games. Nick Swisher will make the start at first base Friday while Raul Ibanez plays right field and DeWayne Wise plays left.
Yankees manager Joe Girardi said Monday that Nick Swisher (hamstring) is likely to miss a week.
Swisher left Sunday's game with a low-grade left hamstring strain. He isn't expected back before next Tuesday, but the Yankees will attempt to get by without putting him on the disabled list. Raul Ibanez will make the start in right field Monday while Eduardo Nunez makes his first major league start in left.
Nick Swisher (hamstring) is not in Monday's lineup.
Swisher suffered a low-grade left hamstring strain during Sunday's game against the Tigers. He's expected to avoid the disabled list but will be sidelined for the next few days. Eduardo Nunez is starting in left field (for the first time in his career) and Raul Ibanez is covering right as the Yankees open a series with the Orioles.
Brett Gardner (elbow) won't pick up a bat for more than a week.
Gardner was placed on the disabled list Wednesday with what was termed as right elbow soreness. An MRI showed a bone bruise and a strained extensor muscle on the outside of his elbow. He's currently wearing a brace, but hopes to resume hitting in eight to 10 days and return as soon as he's eligible. Andruw Jones and Raul Ibanez figure to split at-bats in left field for now.
Alex Rodriguez will be the Yankees' designated hitter Monday against the Orioles.
Eduardo Nunez, who started at shortstop on Saturday, will play the hot corner in his place. Raul Ibanez will take a seat against the lefty Brian Matusz.
Free agent Johnny Damon said he's no longer considering signing with the Yankees after being told by general manager Brian Cashman that he's not their first choice to fill the designated hitter role.
"We both are looking at other options now,’’ Damon stated. Said Cashman, "He called and I told him the truth. He’s not the No. 1 option if and when I turn to DH options.’’ It's been obvious for a while now that Raul Ibanez is at the top of the Yanks' list, and he seems like a virtual certainty to sign on once the A.J. Burnett deal becomes official. It's not clear who Damon is now considering catching on with.
According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Yankees current budget has room only for Eric Chavez or a left-handed designated hitter, but not both.
This conflicts with a CBSSports.com report that the Yankees would finalize contracts with Chavez and Raul Ibanez once A.J. Burnett is officially traded to the Pirates. Sherman notes that the Yankees' front office plans to reconvene to discuss if room can be made for both areas, and that New York still favors Ibanez over Johnny Damon, but that Damon is ''still not off the board.''
Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com reports that trade talks with A.J. Burnett face a "soft deadline" of Saturday.
The hope is to have some resolution before Yankees' pitchers and catchers report to spring training on Sunday. The Yankees continue to discuss a potential deal with the Pirates, but the two sides remained at an impasse as of Wednesday morning. While the Pirates would reportedly prefer to cover $10 million of the $33 million remaining on Burnett's contract, the Yankees are hoping they'll absorb $13-15 million. Still, Pittsburgh is the most realistic trade partner. If a deal does get done, Rosenthal reports that the Yankees are expected to quickly sign Raul Ibanez and Eric Chavez.
According to ESPN's Buster Olney, Vladimir Guerrero has let the Yankees know that he wants their DH job.
Olney believes Raul Ibanez is still the front-runner to get it. But perhaps Vlad can shake things up by accepting an extremely low base salary. The 37-year-old Guerrero registered a .733 OPS, 13 home runs and 63 RBI in 145 games last season for the Orioles. At last check, he was on the hunt for a one-year, $5 million contract.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that the Yankees are still quietly shopping A.J. Burnett.
The Yankees would prefer to sign Eric Chavez and one left-handed DH-type (Raul Ibanez, Johnny Damon or Hideki Matsui), but Sherman reports that they would likely need to expand their budget in order to do. However, dealing Burnett could create some payroll flexibility. We've previously heard that the Yanks are only willing to eat $8 million of the $33 million left on Burnett's contract as part of a trade, but they'd obviously need to do better than that to get somebody to bite.
According to Andrew Marchand of ESPNNewYork.com, the addition of Bill Hall will not have an impact on the Yankees' pursuit of Eric Chavez.
Maybe not, but it's hard to believe the Yankees would give Chavez anything more than a minor league deal given his lengthy injury history. The 34-year-old was limited to just 58 games with New York last season due to a fractured foot, batting .263/.320/.356 across 175 plate appearances. The Yankees are also reportedly pursuing Raul Ibanez, Hideki Matsui and Johnny Damon.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that the Mets have "pretty much stopped pursuing" left-handed hitting outfielders and will instead see what falls through the cracks from other teams during spring training.
The Mets were reportedly interested in Rick Ankiel, but he signed a minor league deal with the Nationals over the weekend. They have also been mentioned in connection with the likes of Kosuke Fukudome, Johnny Damon and Raul Ibanez, but it's doubtful they are willing to offer much in the way of guaranteed salary. As of now, it appears Adam Loewen and Mike Baxter will battle for a job as a left-handed bat of the bench during spring training.
Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports that the Mets are still interested in acquiring a left-handed hitting outfielder.
Heyman doesn't mention any specific names, but Rick Ankiel, Raul Ibanez, Johnny Damon and Kosuke Fukudome are likely on their list. While the Mets don't have a ton of money to spend, they could end up with a pretty good bargain now that spring training is right around the corner.
Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com reports that the Mets are "diligently monitoring" the market for left-handed hitting outfielders.
Crasnick names Rick Ankiel, Johnny Damon, Kosuke Fukudome, Raul Ibanez and Juan Pierre in his report, although it's not clear if they are actually talking to those specific players. For what it's worth, the Mets have at least been linked to Ankiel in the past. There's a surplus among free agent hitters right now, so with spring training rapidly approaching, there's a good chance the Mets will get someone at a bargain rate.
According to Bob Klapisch of the Bergen Record, the Yankees are not initiating calls with representatives for free agent DH-types.
They don't really need to. With plenty of veteran hitters left in the free agent market, the Yankees have the ability to field calls from desperate agents and wait for the best possible deal. Carlos Pena, Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui, Vladimir Guerrero and Raul Ibanez have all been mentioned as possible fits.
Ken Davidoff of New York Newsday reports that the representatives for Vladimir Guerrero and Raul Ibanez have contacted the Yankees about their vacancy at designated hitter.
Davidoff's report also named Jack Cust, but one would assume he's no longer an option after reportedly agreeing to a contract with the Astros. Quite frankly, it's not surprising to hear that the reps for Vlad and Ibanez have contacted the Bombers, as they wouldn't be doing their jobs if they didn't. Recent reports have also named Carlos Pena, Hideki Matsui and Johnny Damon as possibilities. With so many veteran hitters still looking for work, chances are the Yankees will end up with someone at a bargain rate.
Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said Wednesday that John Mayberry Jr. "will get every chance in the world to be a regular player" next season.
And there's every reason to believe it will happen, as Raul Ibanez is set to hit free agency, Ryan Howard is recovering from Achilles tendon surgery and Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. indicated Tuesday that he would like Domonic Brown to spend another year in the minor leagues. While Mayberry did most of his damage against left-handed pitching this season, he batted .273/.341/.513 with 15 homers, 49 RBI and an .854 OPS over 296 plate appearances. He'll open 2012 as a legitimate sleeper in fantasy leagues.
Wed, Oct 12, 2011 01:18:00 PM
Phillies manager Charlie Manuel confirmed Monday that John Mayberry Jr. will likely start in left field Tuesday for Game 3 of the NLDS against the Cardinals.
An expected move against the left-hander Jaime Garcia. Mayberry batted .306/.358/.595 with eight homers and a .953 OPS against southpaws during the regular season.
Mon, Oct 3, 2011 06:03:00 PM
Shane Victorino is not in the Phillies' starting lineup Tuesday night against the Astros.
He's just getting the night off. John Mayberry Jr. will make the start in center field and bat fifth against the left-hander J.A. Happ while Ben Francisco plays left field.
Tue, Sep 13, 2011 04:44:00 PM
John Mayberry has started 11 of the last 14 games for the Phillies.
He's not simply playing against southpaws, either, as 14 of his last 25 starts have come against right-handers. Mayberry has played some first base and center field during that stretch, so his presence in the lineup doesn't necessarily mean Raul Ibanez will be on the bench, but it's obvious manager Charlie Manuel wants to give Mayberry an extended look. We would expect both to get a good amount of playing time down the stretch.
Sat, Sep 3, 2011 09:58:00 AM
