Yankees relish touring Army campus

WEST POINT, N.Y. -- The Yankees are usually content to play the gracious host, but Saturday gave America's most successful pro sports franchise a chance to be the wide-eyed tourist.

The Yankees toured the grounds of the United States Military Academy on Saturday morning, meeting with cadets and learning about one of the nation's oldest college campuses. Everywhere they turned, it seemed, there was a statue commemorating a great American or a crucial historical moment.

Just behind Doubleday Field, for instance, lay statues of American Presidents Dwight Eisenhower and George Washington, and the baseball field itself is named after a famous Civil War general who purportedly invented the game of baseball. For manager Joe Girardi, whose father served as an airplane mechanic during the Korean War, it was an experience without parallel.

"When you pull into this place, you see the beauty," said Girardi. "For me, it's [about] what the military does for us. We're here to play a game and they're here to protect us. Every day that I wake up, I feel safe. And in a lot of places, that's not true. Enjoy this day. I think our guys are having a blast."

Indeed, the day started with a quick tour of the campus, allowing the players to learn some of the basics of American history. West Point, situated on a crucial curve of the Hudson River, was considered a vital place in the Revolutionary War and became the home of the military academy in 1802.

The players started in the Kimsey Athletic Center on Saturday, touring the Army football team's locker room and seeing the school's Sports Hall of Fame. The Yankees later carried through the Foley Athletic Center and visited the Cadet Chapel and Trophy Point before meeting at the Mess Hall.

"What a campus," said southpaw Andy Pettitte. "It was good to be able to sit in there and meet some of these kids. I sat right next to a freshman in there who's 19 years old. It's interesting to be able to know that these guys and girls are here doing this, and it's cool. ... It's a pretty special place."

Army's baseball field usually seats around 800 fans, and the school's athletic department had to erect temporary bleachers with 4,800 more seats when the Yankees came to town. The entire day took on the atmosphere of a carnival, but Girardi wanted his players to take everything in and remember it.

"I'm glad we can do that, but I think it's more important to recognize what our military does for us on a daily basis," he said. "You come up here and you see the history, and you're able to have lunch with the cadets. You see the different stripes on their uniforms and you get an understanding of what they go through every day. Their summers aren't summers like normal students. They're training exercises. I think it's important for people to understand what these kids go through and how important it is."

Army cadets' code impresses Yankees

WEST POINT, N.Y. -- On this day, the highlight was the same for everyone. The Yankees made the most of their trip to the United States Military Academy on Saturday, and they said in the hours before their game against Army that the best part was their personal interaction with the cadets.

CC Sabathia said that he and Mark Teixeira sat at a table with eight cadets and asked questions about their lives, and Mariano Rivera was surprised to meet a cadet from Panama. That Panamanian student even brought the reliever a gift and invited him to his commencement later this year.

But that's not what Rivera will remember. The game's all-time saves leader said that he was struck by an astonishing answer from a cadet and the casual manner in which he offered it.

"We were asking how long they're here and when they're graduating," said Rivera. "One of them was graduating this year. I asked him, 'What are you going to do after that?' and he said, 'I'm going to do something to defuse bombs.' I said, 'What? OK. Good luck.' It's amazing. What a beautiful place."

Andy Pettitte said that he had never been to the USMA before, and he said that it was inspiring to consider the discipline and the dedication that the cadets carry with them every day. Sports are only part of the puzzle for the cadets, who also need to pass inspection and live by an honor code.

"We got a real quick glimpse of it," said Pettitte of the military code. "We didn't see an awful lot, but it's just cool to see the discipline they're teaching these kids and that they carry. You can eat off the floor in the locker room and in the mess hall. It's just absolutely incredible. And you can tell when you talk to them: These kids know exactly what they want to do. It's kind of a far cry from other places."

And that's exactly the point. The USMA is more interested in building leaders than it is in building baseball players, but the Yankees can still take a lot from the way they go about their business. That was the message from manager Joe Girardi, who would love to take this trip again one day.

"I just want our guys to take it all in," he said. "We had a chance to see the Army baseball team during Spring Training. They worked out at our facility. Then they were in the dugout in the seventh inning and that was neat. But just to watch these kids, I want to watch them do their thing too. I think you can learn a lot about the game and about life from other people. That's what I want them to take from this."

Teixeira healing nicely, to visit doc Monday

WEST POINT, N.Y. -- It won't be long now. Mark Teixeira took a trip with the Yankees for an exhibition game against Army on Saturday, and he said that his injured right wrist is healing according to plan. Teixeira, nursing a partially torn tendon sheath, said he'll see a doctor again on Monday.

"I hope they're going to tell me I can take this off and start strengthening it," said Teixeira of the cast on his wrist. "I've been trying to do as much as I can. I'm not able to do much, but I've been trying to push it as much as I can to get it stronger. Once this comes off, then you can start doing a lot more."

Teixeira was reduced to the role of fan on Saturday, as he spent time chatting with the Army student fan section and enjoyed a tour of the campus with the rest of the team. Teixeira didn't have much on the baseball itinerary on Saturday, but he hopes to return to the field in about a month.

"They didn't pack any of my equipment today. I just ran and did rehab," he said. "No grounders, no hitting. So I'll take a couple days off, which is fine, and get back with those type of things Monday."

Teixeira, 32 years old, grew up with a healthy respect for the military because his father played baseball at the Naval Academy in Annapolis. Teixiera said that he was impressed by the athletic facilities at West Point, and he said that one line of conversation kept coming up when he talked to the players.

"A lot of guys said they watched me growing up," said Teixeira. "Everyone came up to me. 'Man, I watched you when you were in Texas,' or 'I watched you in Atlanta.' ... You forget that these are kids. They really are. These guys are going to be the leaders of tomorrow, the military and the protectors of our country, but they're kids. They're enjoying this time together and they're baseball fans, obviously, just getting to play college baseball. Being able to share this experience with them is very neat."

Injuries aren't derailing Yankees' expectations

WEST POINT, N.Y. -- The Yankees played their final exhibition game Saturday, and they used the occasion to push past Spring Training and set their expectations for the regular season. And if you ask manager Joe Girardi, the message for the players and for Yankee fans is quite simple.

"I expect the best, and that's the bottom line," said Girardi. "We expect to win every day."

Girardi said he is not overly concerned by his team's state of health entering the regular season, and he said he doesn't think the Yankees have to do anything differently to compete. This isn't football, the manager said, and the team's coaching staff doesn't have to script and re-script its plays.

"You don't have to necessarily completely change your philosophy because of the people you're missing," said Girardi of his ailing team roster, "Every year is change. And every year, you're going to go through things. Sometimes you're going to do it in the middle of the year and sometimes at the end of the year. We happen to be doing it in the beginning right now."

New York is missing first baseman Mark Teixeira, third baseman Alex Rodriguez and outfielder Curtis Granderson at this early stage of the season, but Girardi doesn't want to make excuses. The Yankees -- and every other team, for that matter -- have to play with the healthy players at their disposal.

And Teixeira, right wrist in a cast, said that the Yankees wouldn't have it any other way.

"It's low expectations outside the clubhouse. Expectations inside the clubhouse are the same," he said. "We hear the chatter. You hear people talk. You hear the fans, but we don't buy into it. I would've never even tried to play college baseball if I had listened to people outside my family growing up."

CC Sabathia, tabbed to take the mound for New York on Opening Day against the Red Sox, said he doesn't really understand the media's cause for concern. The Yankees are going to be solid, he said, and it would take a lot more than a couple of injuries to make him revise his own goals.

"I think we're going to be all right. We're healthy," said Sabathia of the Yankees' pitching rotation for Opening Day. "I think if we stay healthy, we've got a chance to be pretty good."

Another veteran, Andy Pettitte, has known so much success in New York that he can't even contemplate the alternative. Pettitte said he was taken aback after one recent Spring Training start because the assembled media started asking him questions about the team's future.

Pettitte hadn't watched TV, he said, and he hadn't heard the bubbling concern over the team's prospective record. Now, he said he has a better feel for the collective pulse of the market, but that hasn't changed his attitude about the team the Yankees will put on the field on Monday.

"I understand that now probably a little bit more," said Pettitte. "I don't even let my mind go in that direction. I think we're going to win our division. I expect us to be in the World Series.

"Bottom line, I feel we've got the pitching and the bullpen to do that. If people think we're going to be a little short scoring runs, we're going to figure out a way to score enough runs to win."

Worth noting

• Girardi said Saturday that Adam Warren and Cody Eppley have won the final two spots on his active roster. Clay Rapada and Phil Hughes will begin the year on the disabled list.

• Girardi scratched Travis Hafner in the hours leading up to Saturday's game, an absence he attributed to stiffness. Girardi said Hafner could've played if it were a regular-season game.

"He spends a lot of time getting loose every day, doing his routine and getting in hot tubs," said Girardi. "Taking his time in the cage and running around. We just didn't have time to do that today."

Spencer Fordin is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Teixeira healing nicely, to visit doc Monday

WEST POINT, N.Y. -- It won't be long now. Mark Teixeira took a trip with the Yankees for an exhibition game against Army on Saturday, and he said that his injured right wrist is healing according to plan. Teixeira, nursing a partially torn tendon sheath, said he'll see a doctor again on Monday.

"I hope they're going to tell me I can take this off and start strengthening it," said Teixeira of the cast on his wrist. "I've been trying to do as much as I can. I'm not able to do much, but I've been trying to push it as much as I can to get it stronger. Once this comes off, then you can start doing a lot more."

Teixeira was reduced to the role of fan on Saturday, as he spent time chatting with the Army student fan section and enjoyed a tour of the campus with the rest of the team. Teixeira didn't have much on the baseball itinerary on Saturday, but he hopes to return to the field in about a month.

"They didn't pack any of my equipment today. I just ran and did rehab," he said. "No grounders, no hitting. So I'll take a couple days off, which is fine, and get back with those type of things Monday."

Teixeira, 32 years old, grew up with a healthy respect for the military because his father played baseball at the Naval Academy in Annapolis. Teixiera said that he was impressed by the athletic facilities at West Point, and he said that one line of conversation kept coming up when he talked to the players.

"A lot of guys said they watched me growing up," said Teixeira. "Everyone came up to me. 'Man, I watched you when you were in Texas,' or 'I watched you in Atlanta.' ... You forget that these are kids. They really are. These guys are going to be the leaders of tomorrow, the military and the protectors of our country, but they're kids. They're enjoying this time together and they're baseball fans, obviously, just getting to play college baseball. Being able to share this experience with them is very neat."

Yankees relish touring Army campus

WEST POINT, N.Y. -- The Yankees are usually content to play the gracious host, but Saturday gave America's most successful pro sports franchise a chance to be the wide-eyed tourist.

The Yankees toured the grounds of the United States Military Academy on Saturday morning, meeting with cadets and learning about one of the nation's oldest college campuses. Everywhere they turned, it seemed, there was a statue commemorating a great American or a crucial historical moment.

Just behind Doubleday Field, for instance, lay statues of American Presidents Dwight Eisenhower and George Washington, and the baseball field itself is named after a famous Civil War general who purportedly invented the game of baseball. For manager Joe Girardi, whose father served as an airplane mechanic during the Korean War, it was an experience without parallel.

"When you pull into this place, you see the beauty," said Girardi. "For me, it's [about] what the military does for us. We're here to play a game and they're here to protect us. Every day that I wake up, I feel safe. And in a lot of places, that's not true. Enjoy this day. I think our guys are having a blast."

Indeed, the day started with a quick tour of the campus, allowing the players to learn some of the basics of American history. West Point, situated on a crucial curve of the Hudson River, was considered a vital place in the Revolutionary War and became the home of the military academy in 1802.

The players started in the Kimsey Athletic Center on Saturday, touring the Army football team's locker room and seeing the school's Sports Hall of Fame. The Yankees later carried through the Foley Athletic Center and visited the Cadet Chapel and Trophy Point before meeting at the Mess Hall.

"What a campus," said southpaw Andy Pettitte. "It was good to be able to sit in there and meet some of these kids. I sat right next to a freshman in there who's 19 years old. It's interesting to be able to know that these guys and girls are here doing this, and it's cool. ... It's a pretty special place."

Army's baseball field usually seats around 800 fans, and the school's athletic department had to erect temporary bleachers with 4,800 more seats when the Yankees came to town. The entire day took on the atmosphere of a carnival, but Girardi wanted his players to take everything in and remember it.

"I'm glad we can do that, but I think it's more important to recognize what our military does for us on a daily basis," he said. "You come up here and you see the history, and you're able to have lunch with the cadets. You see the different stripes on their uniforms and you get an understanding of what they go through every day. Their summers aren't summers like normal students. They're training exercises. I think it's important for people to understand what these kids go through and how important it is."

Army cadets' code impresses Yankees

WEST POINT, N.Y. -- On this day, the highlight was the same for everyone. The Yankees made the most of their trip to the United States Military Academy on Saturday, and they said in the hours before their game against Army that the best part was their personal interaction with the cadets.

CC Sabathia said that he and Mark Teixeira sat at a table with eight cadets and asked questions about their lives, and Mariano Rivera was surprised to meet a cadet from Panama. That Panamanian student even brought the reliever a gift and invited him to his commencement later this year.

But that's not what Rivera will remember. The game's all-time saves leader said that he was struck by an astonishing answer from a cadet and the casual manner in which he offered it.

"We were asking how long they're here and when they're graduating," said Rivera. "One of them was graduating this year. I asked him, 'What are you going to do after that?' and he said, 'I'm going to do something to defuse bombs.' I said, 'What? OK. Good luck.' It's amazing. What a beautiful place."

Andy Pettitte said that he had never been to the USMA before, and he said that it was inspiring to consider the discipline and the dedication that the cadets carry with them every day. Sports are only part of the puzzle for the cadets, who also need to pass inspection and live by an honor code.

"We got a real quick glimpse of it," said Pettitte of the military code. "We didn't see an awful lot, but it's just cool to see the discipline they're teaching these kids and that they carry. You can eat off the floor in the locker room and in the mess hall. It's just absolutely incredible. And you can tell when you talk to them: These kids know exactly what they want to do. It's kind of a far cry from other places."

And that's exactly the point. The USMA is more interested in building leaders than it is in building baseball players, but the Yankees can still take a lot from the way they go about their business. That was the message from manager Joe Girardi, who would love to take this trip again one day.

"I just want our guys to take it all in," he said. "We had a chance to see the Army baseball team during Spring Training. They worked out at our facility. Then they were in the dugout in the seventh inning and that was neat. But just to watch these kids, I want to watch them do their thing too. I think you can learn a lot about the game and about life from other people. That's what I want them to take from this."

Injuries aren't derailing Yankees' expectations

WEST POINT, N.Y. -- The Yankees played their final exhibition game Saturday, and they used the occasion to push past Spring Training and set their expectations for the regular season. And if you ask manager Joe Girardi, the message for the players and for Yankee fans is quite simple.

"I expect the best, and that's the bottom line," said Girardi. "We expect to win every day."

Girardi said he is not overly concerned by his team's state of health entering the regular season, and he said he doesn't think the Yankees have to do anything differently to compete. This isn't football, the manager said, and the team's coaching staff doesn't have to script and re-script its plays.

"You don't have to necessarily completely change your philosophy because of the people you're missing," said Girardi of his ailing team roster, "Every year is change. And every year, you're going to go through things. Sometimes you're going to do it in the middle of the year and sometimes at the end of the year. We happen to be doing it in the beginning right now."

New York is missing first baseman Mark Teixeira, third baseman Alex Rodriguez and outfielder Curtis Granderson at this early stage of the season, but Girardi doesn't want to make excuses. The Yankees -- and every other team, for that matter -- have to play with the healthy players at their disposal.

And Teixeira, right wrist in a cast, said that the Yankees wouldn't have it any other way.

"It's low expectations outside the clubhouse. Expectations inside the clubhouse are the same," he said. "We hear the chatter. You hear people talk. You hear the fans, but we don't buy into it. I would've never even tried to play college baseball if I had listened to people outside my family growing up."

CC Sabathia, tabbed to take the mound for New York on Opening Day against the Red Sox, said he doesn't really understand the media's cause for concern. The Yankees are going to be solid, he said, and it would take a lot more than a couple of injuries to make him revise his own goals.

"I think we're going to be all right. We're healthy," said Sabathia of the Yankees' pitching rotation for Opening Day. "I think if we stay healthy, we've got a chance to be pretty good."

Another veteran, Andy Pettitte, has known so much success in New York that he can't even contemplate the alternative. Pettitte said he was taken aback after one recent Spring Training start because the assembled media started asking him questions about the team's future.

Pettitte hadn't watched TV, he said, and he hadn't heard the bubbling concern over the team's prospective record. Now, he said he has a better feel for the collective pulse of the market, but that hasn't changed his attitude about the team the Yankees will put on the field on Monday.

"I understand that now probably a little bit more," said Pettitte. "I don't even let my mind go in that direction. I think we're going to win our division. I expect us to be in the World Series.

"Bottom line, I feel we've got the pitching and the bullpen to do that. If people think we're going to be a little short scoring runs, we're going to figure out a way to score enough runs to win."

Worth noting

• Girardi said Saturday that Adam Warren and Cody Eppley have won the final two spots on his active roster. Clay Rapada and Phil Hughes will begin the year on the disabled list.

• Girardi scratched Travis Hafner in the hours leading up to Saturday's game, an absence he attributed to stiffness. Girardi said Hafner could've played if it were a regular-season game.

"He spends a lot of time getting loose every day, doing his routine and getting in hot tubs," said Girardi. "Taking his time in the cage and running around. We just didn't have time to do that today."

Spencer Fordin is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Yankees victorious in return to West Point

WEST POINT, N.Y. -- In most places, the Yankees are hardly an afterthought. But when manager Joe Girardi started walking around West Point on Saturday, he noticed an interesting phenomenon.

And he didn't have to look hard. The popular phrase, "Go Army. Beat Navy," is all over the campus at West Point, and Girardi cannily tried to find a way that it might benefit his team. Army is so fixated on Navy, quipped Girardi, that the Yankees might just get their own free pass on Saturday.

"Maybe Army will overlook us," he joked in the hours before the Yankees took a 10-5 exhibition victory over the Black Knights. "Since they're playing Navy the next four games."

That age-old rivalry -- commemorated everywhere on campus, but most pointedly on the roof of Gillis Field House, which reads, "Sink Navy" -- may be big news starting Sunday, but the Yankees were the bold-faced headline Saturday. The exhibition game marked the first time since 1986 that a big league team has visited West Point, and it improved the Yankees to 22-0 all-time against Army.

Perhaps more importantly, it continued a tradition that had fallen out of favor. The Yankees began playing against Army all the way back in 1927, and they made the trip to West Point frequently in the 30's and the 60's. Prior to Saturday, though, they hadn't played against Army since 1976.

It probably won't take another generation to happen again. The Yankees seemed thrilled to take a campus tour and to spend time with the cadets in the mess hall, and the West Point faithful set a record attendance (6,127) as part of their welcome to the reigning American League East champions.

"I thought it was a wonderful experience going around the university and looking at the different buildings," said Girardi. "I took my time. I had a chance to eat with the cadets in the mess hall, and then the game. I spent 2 1/2 innings over there talking to their players. That was a real thrill."

And Girardi wasn't alone. He sent several of his players over to the Army dugout to spend some time with the cadets, sharing stories and inquiring about their lives at the academy. For Mark Teixeira, sidelined due to a wrist injury, it was a reminder of his college days at Georgia Tech.

"I forgot how fun it is to be in college," said Teixeira of his afternoon at West Point. "When I was a freshman, I got to play against the [Atlanta] Braves. Being a kid who was a switch-hitter and playing third base, getting to play against Chipper Jones was just unbelievable for me. For these kids, I hope they had the same experience. I know my teammates, and we enjoyed the heck out of it."

Normally, the Yankees are answering questions. But for one day, they were asking them.

Much of their interest, predictably, centered on the cadets' routine and how they manage to fit baseball into their arduous schedule. Girardi said he asked the Army players about their days and their duties, about their responsibilities and about how their lives will change once they enter the service.

The Army players, by contrast, were happy to talk about baseball and to ask their own questions about life in the big leagues. Senior catcher Andrew Johnson said that it's a natural inclination to think that pro ballplayers are completely different specimens until you stand right next to them.

"Sometimes, with MLB dreams, you think they've gone over and beyond people's expectations and that they do crazy things," Johnson said. "But honestly, those guys just simplify the game for themselves. When you watch them take batting practice, it's nice and easy and they do a lot of the same things that Coach makes us do. To watch how easy they make the game is really an eye-opener."

Girardi had to take care of some business on Saturday, and he said that Adam Warren and Cody Eppley have earned the final two spots on his roster. Girardi also said that Travis Hafner was scratched from Saturday's game due to general stiffness, but that he could've played in a regular-season setting.

Brennan Boesch, who replaced Hafner in the lineup, drilled a two-run homer in the second inning and the Yankees never trailed. Army made it 5-4 after three innings, but New York pulled away with two runs in the sixth. Reliever Boone Logan notched just one out and gave up all four earned runs for the Yankees.

But this game -- and this day -- was bigger than the box score. For the Yankees, it meant an opportunity to both get some work in and to give back to the community at the same time. And for Army, it was the opportunity of a lifetime and the chance to measure themselves against the best in the world.

"I think the big thing that was obvious today was respect," said Army coach Joe Sottolano. "These individuals, each and every day, they've been to this type of situation hundreds of thousands of times. They've come to these types of ballgames and lived it each and every day. Not only did they come over [to our dugout], but they came over open and with a legitimate interest. It wasn't a job at that point. For them, I believe it was more of a curiosity and something they really wanted to partake in.

"They made us feel special, even though for them it's two days away from their Opening Day. They're not going to see their families very often, and tomorrow's Easter Sunday. The greatest gift that they say you can give people is time. They gave us that time, and we're very respectful and grateful for that."

Girardi, for his part, was impressed by the talent on the other side and even more touched by the way that Army's cadets approach the game. Girardi said it was a special day for everyone involved, and he said he came away from West Point with a profound appreciation for his country and the military.

"This is not something that everybody gets to do, and the tour we got was from cadets and from people who have been here," the manager said of West Point. "I think it's a great way to end Spring Training. It all starts for us Monday. And for them, it all starts tomorrow, because that's their first conference game."

Spencer Fordin is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Cashman always looking for talent to add

By Jeff Seidel / Special to MLB.com | 03/29/2013 8:15 PM ET

WASHINGTON -- Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has been a little busier this Spring Training than he'd like.

The injury-filled spring that Cashman has watched his club endure has kept him constantly on the prowl for talent to fill holes until the Yankees' injured stars heal.

"I think we have improved ourselves in the last three weeks with some of the additions, potentially, trying to close the gap on where we were as much as we possibly can," Cashman said before Friday's game. "We've been there and done that, and that's the job. You have to find a way. You mix and match, and if it doesn't work, out with the old and in with the new. We'll find something else. That's just the way it works."

Cashman said he understands what's involved because this is something the GM has been through before. He said that it's important to be prepared to make adjustments and do whatever's needed to succeed.

"It's just the job description -- you've got to find a way," Cashman said. "The job is to put a championship-caliber [team] on the field on a yearly basis that can compete now and can compete in the future years. That is the job. I'd rather have everything go perfect. We have to survive and thrive."

Overbay makes Yanks; Aardsma designated

WASHINGTON -- The Yankees have just one game left in the exhibition season, Saturday's matchup with Army in West Point, N.Y., which fans can watch free on MLB.TV at 2 p.m. ET, and team officials confirmed a number of roster moves after Friday's 4-2 exhibition win over the Nationals.

Reliever David Aardsma was designated for assignment, while fellow righty Shawn Kelley has made the Opening Day roster, along with Ben Francisco, Jayson Nix and recently signed first baseman Lyle Overbay.

In designating Aardsma, the Yankees appear to be more interested in a reliever who can work longer stints than the veteran righty, whose specialty has been one-inning appearances.

"I think the role we're looking for from that guy is probably a little bit more distance," manager Joe Girardi said. "He's been more of a one-inning guy and a save guy, and our seventh, eighth and ninth is pretty locked in. We just felt that he didn't really fit exactly. He's rehabbed, he's worked his butt off to get to this point, and hopefully it works out for him."

Aardsma said he's disappointed and thought he pitched well in Florida. He's hoping that other teams will take a look at him.

"I showed some teams what I could do, and hopefully, I'll get an opportunity somewhere else and take advantage of it," Aardsma said.

Overbay was signed by the Yankees to a Minor League contract on Tuesday, shortly after the Red Sox released him. The veteran went 0-for-4 in Friday's win and is 3-for-12 since signing.

Overbay was hitting just .220 in Grapefruit League play before Boston released him. He said he knew there wasn't much time to make an impression, so he wanted to show the Yankees whatever he could as quickly as possible. New York certainly needs first-base help due to the right wrist injury to Mark Teixeira, who will be sidelined at least into May.

"You don't know what you're getting into," Overbay said right after being told he'd made the team. "You don't know what they're expecting. That's why I wanted to get here as soon as possible."

Teixeira optimistic he'll return in early May

WASHINGTON -- Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira, out with a partially torn tendon sheath in his right wrist, said before Friday's 4-2 exhibition win over the Nationals that he's been rehabbing and still hopes to return in early May.

Teixeira sustained the injury while preparing for the World Baseball Classic in early March. The prognosis has the switch-hitting slugger missing eight to 10 weeks, but Teixeira said he'd rather return closer to the eight-week timetable.

"May 1 is eight weeks; if you tell me it's 10 weeks, my goal is eight weeks," Teixeira said. "We'll see how it goes. We have a few, kind of, milestones you've got to hit, and then once you hit those, you can go onto the next one and hopefully progress to where I'm playing games in eight weeks."

Teixeira is waring a brace that he hopes will be taken off on Monday, the day the Yankees will open the regular season with a 1:05 p.m. ET game against the Red Sox in New York. The first baseman began various drills, including one-handed swinging, on Sunday, but he made it clear that he'll be careful while rehabbing.

"I can't try to be a hero," Teixeira said. "Until this is healed, I can't just start swinging and hope that swinging makes it feel better. I just have to be smart with it. It's not something I'm going to play through."

The possibility of season-ending surgery still looms.

Teixeira said he hopes to be swinging a bat around the six-week mark. If he still can't swing after about 10 weeks, Teixeira said he might have to consider "other options."

"At a certain point, if it's still hurting, you've got to take care of it," Teixeira said. "I'm not even worrying about [surgery yet]."

Jeff Seidel is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Teixeira optimistic he'll return in early May

By Jeff Seidel / Special to MLB.com | 03/29/2013 8:15 PM ET

WASHINGTON -- Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira, out with a partially torn tendon sheath in his right wrist, said before Friday's 4-2 exhibition win over the Nationals that he's been rehabbing and still hopes to return in early May.

Teixeira sustained the injury while preparing for the World Baseball Classic in early March. The prognosis has the switch-hitting slugger missing eight to 10 weeks, but Teixeira said he'd rather return closer to the eight-week timetable.

"May 1 is eight weeks; if you tell me it's 10 weeks, my goal is eight weeks," Teixeira said. "We'll see how it goes. We have a few, kind of, milestones you've got to hit, and then once you hit those, you can go onto the next one and hopefully progress to where I'm playing games in eight weeks."

Teixeira is waring a brace that he hopes will be taken off on Monday, the day the Yankees will open the regular season with a 1:05 p.m. ET game against the Red Sox in New York. The first baseman began various drills, including one-handed swinging, on Sunday, but he made it clear that he'll be careful while rehabbing.

"I can't try to be a hero," Teixeira said. "Until this is healed, I can't just start swinging and hope that swinging makes it feel better. I just have to be smart with it. It's not something I'm going to play through."

The possibility of season-ending surgery still looms.

Teixeira said he hopes to be swinging a bat around the six-week mark. If he still can't swing after about 10 weeks, Teixeira said he might have to consider "other options."

"At a certain point, if it's still hurting, you've got to take care of it," Teixeira said. "I'm not even worrying about [surgery yet]."

Overbay makes Yanks; Aardsma designated

WASHINGTON -- The Yankees have just one game left in the exhibition season, Saturday's matchup with Army in West Point, N.Y., which fans can watch free on MLB.TV at 2 p.m. ET, and team officials confirmed a number of roster moves after Friday's 4-2 exhibition win over the Nationals.

Reliever David Aardsma was designated for assignment, while fellow righty Shawn Kelley has made the Opening Day roster, along with Ben Francisco, Jayson Nix and recently signed first baseman Lyle Overbay.

In designating Aardsma, the Yankees appear to be more interested in a reliever who can work longer stints than the veteran righty, whose specialty has been one-inning appearances.

"I think the role we're looking for from that guy is probably a little bit more distance," manager Joe Girardi said. "He's been more of a one-inning guy and a save guy, and our seventh, eighth and ninth is pretty locked in. We just felt that he didn't really fit exactly. He's rehabbed, he's worked his butt off to get to this point, and hopefully it works out for him."

Aardsma said he's disappointed and thought he pitched well in Florida. He's hoping that other teams will take a look at him.

"I showed some teams what I could do, and hopefully, I'll get an opportunity somewhere else and take advantage of it," Aardsma said.

Overbay was signed by the Yankees to a Minor League contract on Tuesday, shortly after the Red Sox released him. The veteran went 0-for-4 in Friday's win and is 3-for-12 since signing.

Overbay was hitting just .220 in Grapefruit League play before Boston released him. He said he knew there wasn't much time to make an impression, so he wanted to show the Yankees whatever he could as quickly as possible. New York certainly needs first-base help due to the right wrist injury to Mark Teixeira, who will be sidelined at least into May.

"You don't know what you're getting into," Overbay said right after being told he'd made the team. "You don't know what they're expecting. That's why I wanted to get here as soon as possible."

Cashman always looking for talent to add

WASHINGTON -- Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has been a little busier this Spring Training than he'd like.

The injury-filled spring that Cashman has watched his club endure has kept him constantly on the prowl for talent to fill holes until the Yankees' injured stars heal.

"I think we have improved ourselves in the last three weeks with some of the additions, potentially, trying to close the gap on where we were as much as we possibly can," Cashman said before Friday's game. "We've been there and done that, and that's the job. You have to find a way. You mix and match, and if it doesn't work, out with the old and in with the new. We'll find something else. That's just the way it works."

Cashman said he understands what's involved because this is something the GM has been through before. He said that it's important to be prepared to make adjustments and do whatever's needed to succeed.

"It's just the job description -- you've got to find a way," Cashman said. "The job is to put a championship-caliber [team] on the field on a yearly basis that can compete now and can compete in the future years. That is the job. I'd rather have everything go perfect. We have to survive and thrive."

Jeff Seidel is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Overbay makes Yanks; Aardsma designated

By Jeff Seidel / Special to MLB.com | 03/29/2013 8:15 PM ET

WASHINGTON -- The Yankees have just one game left in the exhibition season, Saturday's matchup with Army in West Point, N.Y., which fans can watch free on MLB.TV at 2 p.m. ET, and team officials confirmed a number of roster moves after Friday's 4-2 exhibition win over the Nationals.

Reliever David Aardsma was designated for assignment, while fellow righty Shawn Kelley has made the Opening Day roster, along with Ben Francisco, Jayson Nix and recently signed first baseman Lyle Overbay.

In designating Aardsma, the Yankees appear to be more interested in a reliever who can work longer stints than the veteran righty, whose specialty has been one-inning appearances.

"I think the role we're looking for from that guy is probably a little bit more distance," manager Joe Girardi said. "He's been more of a one-inning guy and a save guy, and our seventh, eighth and ninth is pretty locked in. We just felt that he didn't really fit exactly. He's rehabbed, he's worked his butt off to get to this point, and hopefully it works out for him."

Aardsma said he's disappointed and thought he pitched well in Florida. He's hoping that other teams will take a look at him.

"I showed some teams what I could do, and hopefully, I'll get an opportunity somewhere else and take advantage of it," Aardsma said.

Overbay was signed by the Yankees to a Minor League contract on Tuesday, shortly after the Red Sox released him. The veteran went 0-for-4 in Friday's win and is 3-for-12 since signing.

Overbay was hitting just .220 in Grapefruit League play before Boston released him. He said he knew there wasn't much time to make an impression, so he wanted to show the Yankees whatever he could as quickly as possible. New York certainly needs first-base help due to the right wrist injury to Mark Teixeira, who will be sidelined at least into May.

"You don't know what you're getting into," Overbay said right after being told he'd made the team. "You don't know what they're expecting. That's why I wanted to get here as soon as possible."

Teixeira optimistic he'll return in early May

WASHINGTON -- Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira, out with a partially torn tendon sheath in his right wrist, said before Friday's 4-2 exhibition win over the Nationals that he's been rehabbing and still hopes to return in early May.

Teixeira sustained the injury while preparing for the World Baseball Classic in early March. The prognosis has the switch-hitting slugger missing eight to 10 weeks, but Teixeira said he'd rather return closer to the eight-week timetable.

"May 1 is eight weeks; if you tell me it's 10 weeks, my goal is eight weeks," Teixeira said. "We'll see how it goes. We have a few, kind of, milestones you've got to hit, and then once you hit those, you can go onto the next one and hopefully progress to where I'm playing games in eight weeks."

Teixeira is waring a brace that he hopes will be taken off on Monday, the day the Yankees will open the regular season with a 1:05 p.m. ET game against the Red Sox in New York. The first baseman began various drills, including one-handed swinging, on Sunday, but he made it clear that he'll be careful while rehabbing.

"I can't try to be a hero," Teixeira said. "Until this is healed, I can't just start swinging and hope that swinging makes it feel better. I just have to be smart with it. It's not something I'm going to play through."

The possibility of season-ending surgery still looms.

Teixeira said he hopes to be swinging a bat around the six-week mark. If he still can't swing after about 10 weeks, Teixeira said he might have to consider "other options."

"At a certain point, if it's still hurting, you've got to take care of it," Teixeira said. "I'm not even worrying about [surgery yet]."

Cashman always looking for talent to add

WASHINGTON -- Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has been a little busier this Spring Training than he'd like.

The injury-filled spring that Cashman has watched his club endure has kept him constantly on the prowl for talent to fill holes until the Yankees' injured stars heal.

"I think we have improved ourselves in the last three weeks with some of the additions, potentially, trying to close the gap on where we were as much as we possibly can," Cashman said before Friday's game. "We've been there and done that, and that's the job. You have to find a way. You mix and match, and if it doesn't work, out with the old and in with the new. We'll find something else. That's just the way it works."

Cashman said he understands what's involved because this is something the GM has been through before. He said that it's important to be prepared to make adjustments and do whatever's needed to succeed.

"It's just the job description -- you've got to find a way," Cashman said. "The job is to put a championship-caliber [team] on the field on a yearly basis that can compete now and can compete in the future years. That is the job. I'd rather have everything go perfect. We have to survive and thrive."

Jeff Seidel is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Nuno wins outstanding Spring Training rookie award

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com | 3/28/2013 5:12 P.M. ET

TAMPA, Fla. -- Yankees left-hander Vidal Nuno was announced on Thursday as the recipient of the 2013 James P. Dawson Award, given annually to the outstanding Yankees rookie in Spring Training.

Nuno, 25, was 1-1 with one save and an 0.61 ERA in seven appearances (two starts) for the Yankees this spring. He permitted just one run in 14 2/3 innings, allowing 10 hits while walking four and striking out 13.

The Yankees are still considering Nuno to break camp with the club on the Major League roster as a long reliever and second left-hander behind Boone Logan.

Nuno pitched last season at Class A Tampa and Double-A Trenton, going 10-6 while leading all Yankees Minor Leaguers with a 2.54 ERA over 138 1/3 innings.

Cano not feeling pressure to carry Yankees

TAMPA, Fla. -- The Yankees' Opening Day lineup will be built around Robinson Cano's powerful bat, but the second baseman said that he does not feel any additional pressure to carry the team.

"It's going to be hard," Cano said. "All you want is to start the lineup with your starters. You don't want anybody to get hurt, but this is part of life. Hopefully, they'll get well soon and be back soon, and we can stay in the race so whenever they get back, we can be on track and they can help us make it all the way to the playoffs."

Cano said that the Yankees will miss the contributions of players like Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter in the early going, but Kevin Youkilis and Travis Hafner could help cushion the blows.

"We have guys like Youk that have been in the game a long time," Cano said. "We have Hafner, guys you hope can come in and have a great season for us, help us win games until we get the rest of the guys back."

Cano said that he is thankful that he was able to avoid the injury bug, for the most part. Cano was scratched from Wednesday's game against the Orioles with a stomach bug, but Cano said that he was well enough to play on Thursday as the Yanks wrapped up the Florida portion of their spring schedule.

"I feel good. Mentally, I feel good and my body feels good," Cano said. "That's all that matters. When the season starts, that's what you want -- to feel good mentally and physically. Hopefully, I feel like that the whole season."

Youkilis excited for first Opening Day in pinstripes

TAMPA, Fla. -- Kevin Youkilis probably turned some of those boos he heard early this spring into "Youks," entering play on Thursday leading the Yankees in home runs (five) and RBIs (13).

Actually, Youkilis can't be sure about that, since it's a challenge to tell the difference.

"Like I've said, I can't tell if they're screaming, 'Youk,' half the time anyway," Youkilis said.

But the former Red Sox star has heard fewer jeers coming from the home crowds in camp, and that has to be a good sign as he prepares for his first Opening Day in pinstripes.

"It's going to be fun going to Yankee Stadium," Youkilis said. "The fans, before, there was a lot more hatred, and hopefully now there'll be a lot more excitement.

"It'll be good. I've got my family in town, they're excited. This year's a new beginning, full of new opportunities, and hopefully great things will happen in the end."

Youkilis will see some familiar faces in the visiting dugout on April 1, as the Yankees open their 162-game regular-season schedule by facing the Red Sox. Youkilis said that opening up against Boston makes little difference to him.

"It doesn't really matter either way," Youkilis said. "I think just going to play at Yankee Stadium for the first time [as a Yankee] is going to be a cool thing, especially playing on Opening Day with probably some old timers coming back. That's always cool to see."

Mariano optimistic for Yanks despite injuries

TAMPA, Fla. -- As Mariano Rivera looks ahead to his final Opening Day, the Yankees' closer said that he does not know what emotions will be flowing through him when the team is announced before the April 1 game against the Red Sox.

Rivera said that he is focused on finishing the spring strong and being ready for the season, but he is also making sure to spread some optimism around the clubhouse in what has been an injury-marred Grapefruit League campaign for the team.

"It's part of the game. No one wants to get hurt," Rivera said. "No one likes to get hurt, but it happens. What we need to do is play the game we know how to play; do the little things, pitch, and we'll win games like that. Someone will step up. Someone will do what needs to be done to win games."

With Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Curtis Granderson, Mark Teixeira and Phil Hughes among the bigger names expected to begin the year on the disabled list, Rivera suggested that the Yankees may have answers to their problems already in camp. The solution could come from a relatively unheralded name.

"Again, for example, we had Scott Brosius," Rivera said. "He came from Oakland [in 1998], we had no clue about him, and he did a tremendous job -- and so many others. It can happen like that.

"You don't need to have just big names to do the job, to get the job done. You have to have the heart and will to do the job. That's what separates. I believe that everyone who is here is capable of doing that."

Bombers bits

Infielder/outfielder Ronnier Mustelier has been diagnosed with a bone bruise in his right knee and will not make the Opening Day roster, manager Joe Girardi said. Mustelier told the team that his right knee "cracked" while running in the outfield on Wednesday in Sarasota, Fla. He will be sent to the Yankees' Minor League complex and should join Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in April.

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Yankees' projected Opening Day lineup

MLB.com | 3/28/2013 4:47 P.M. ET

The Yankees open their season Monday against the Red Sox in New York as CC Sabathia faces Jon Lester at 1:05 p.m. ET. Below is the Yankees' projected Opening Day lineup.

1. CF: Brett Gardner
2. RF: Ichiro Suzuki
3. 2B: Robinson Cano
4. 1B: Kevin Youkilis
5. DH: Ben Francisco
6. LF: Vernon Wells
7. SS: Eduardo Nunez
8. 3B: Jayson Nix
9. C: Chris Stewart
SP: CC Sabathia

This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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J. Rivera out; Overbay, Francisco to make Yanks

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com | 3/28/2013 5:08 P.M. ET

TAMPA, Fla. -- The Yankees released veteran Juan Rivera from his Minor League contract on Thursday, giving Lyle Overbay the inside track to win the regular first-base job to open the season.

Rivera confirmed that he had been released during Thursday's game against the Pirates, and said he has been told that Overbay and outfielder Ben Francisco will make the team. Outfielder Brennan Boesch is also expected to be on the roster.

"I've never been in this situation," Overbay said. "It's kind of been a whirlwind. I've been around this game, and things can change real quick."

Rivera hit .305 (18-for-59) with five doubles and five RBIs this spring. Instead, the 34-year-old was cut after the Yanks signed Francisco on March 11 and added Overbay on Tuesday.

General manager Brian Cashman said Rivera had a contractual deadline to be added to the club's 40-man roster on Thursday. Rivera said he thought he had done enough to make the club.

"This is the New York Yankees," Rivera said. "You never know."

Cashman said that the team has not made any final decisions on its roster. Overbay's Minor League contract could have expired on Friday, but he will instead go north with the club for the exhibition games against the Nationals in Washington, D.C., on Friday and the Army Black Knights at West Point on Saturday.

"I'm just along for the ride and see what I can do," Overbay said. "It's hard to know what to expect. I just try to be as professional as I can and try to have good at-bats, and show them what you've got in a short amount of time."

With Rivera deleted from the Yankees' roster, it is probable that Kevin Youkilis will play first base on Opening Day against the Red Sox, since left-hander Jon Lester is scheduled to start for Boston. Jayson Nix is the likely choice to play third base in the season-opening lineup.

Overbay hit .259 with a pair of homers in 65 games last year with the D-backs and Braves. He signed with the division-rival Red Sox in January before his release earlier this week.

Francisco hit .240 with four homers in 82 combined games last season with the Blue Jays, Astros and Rays. He signed with the Indians this offseason, but requested his release from Cleveland in March and signed with New York later that same day.

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Nova pleased arm is in shape for season

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com | 03/27/2013 6:45 PM ET

TAMPA, Fla. -- Ivan Nova said that his Spring Training has been "not good," but the Yankees right-hander has also been able to find a few silver linings.

Nova had a rough outing on Wednesday against the Blue Jays' Class A Dunedin lineup, permitting eight hits and seven runs (six earned) over five-plus innings, including two home runs.

"It wasn't what I was expecting," Nova said. "I was expecting to have a great spring, but I feel really good. It wasn't that bad, either. I didn't think it was that bad. I made a lot of adjustments with my mechanics and my arm, and that's a good point."

Nova struck out four and walked one in the 92-pitch outing, in which he worked with catcher Chris Stewart. Nova compiled a 4.19 ERA over 19 1/3 Grapefruit League innings, spanning five starts.

"A lot of people look into the ERAs and other stuff," Nova said. "I'm not looking into the ERAs. I'm just looking that my arm is in shape and do what I intend to do with my mechanics."

Nova has been working with pitching coach Larry Rothschild on shortening the arm action of his delivery, and said that he feels like the mechanical adjustments are "in my mind already."

Because Phil Hughes will begin the season on the disabled list, Nova and David Phelps will both begin the season in New York's rotation. Rothschild did not argue with Nova's assessment that his spring could have been better.

"I don't think he pitched as well as we'd like him to, but a lot of times that doesn't make a difference," Rothschild said. "As long as his stamina's there and he's built up strength-wise, pitch-wise and things like that.

"But, obviously, if you have your druthers, you'd want to see him pitch really well and make quality pitches throughout. He's made a lot of quality pitches and then he's made some mistakes, and so the mistakes have caught him."

Jeter won't see game action until next week

TAMPA, Fla. -- Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter will not play in another Minor League game until at least next week, according to general manager Brian Cashman on Wednesday.

Jeter last played in a game on Saturday, when he grounded out in four at-bats as a designated hitter against the Pirates' Triple-A club.

Jeter reported feeling soreness in his surgically repaired left ankle the next day and has been receiving treatment. Cashman said that he does not expect Jeter to play until after the weekend.

"He was here today with the physical therapist getting treatment and doing some work that way, so we'll give him a few days to calm down," Cashman said. "We'll back off completely. He won't be doing anything; he won't be playing any games here for the next few days."

Cashman said that this should not be considered a new issue for Jeter, who will miss his first Opening Day since 2001 when he begins the season on the disabled list.

"We're just trying to back off and eliminate the pain," Cashman said.

Eduardo Nunez is expected to serve as the Yankees' Opening Day shortstop. Because of Jeter's recurring ankle soreness, Cashman said that he cannot project a realistic date that he will return to the Yankees' lineup.

Jeter will remain in Florida when the team goes north, and Cashman said that the Yankees must see Jeter play shortstop for nine innings in back-to-back extended spring training games before they will consider activating him.

"We'll get him going again, but I can't tell you what that date is going to be," Cashman said. "I know we'll have him back. I just can't tell you when yet."

Overbay essentially has three-day tryout with Yanks

TAMPA, Fla. -- On Wednesday, Lyle Overbay was in Day 2 of what essentially amounts to a three-day tryout to prove he can crack the Yankees' Opening Day roster.

The 36-year-old first baseman has a chance to impress the Yanks' coaching staff, and he started at first base against the Orioles in Sarasota, going 2-for-5 in the Yankees' 11-8 win.

Overbay appeared as a defensive replacement in Tuesday's 4-4 tie against the Astros, going 0-for-1. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said that Overbay, who was released by the Red Sox on Tuesday, is able to opt out of his Minor League contract on Friday.

"He got released, so I just gave him, basically, a three-day contract," Cashman said. "'Come on over, we'll take a quick peek.' Our scouts have watched some of the stuff he's been doing while he was with the Red Sox, so he'll get a three-day, NBA-style contract on the Minor League side."

With Mark Teixeira injured and expected to be out until at least the middle of May, the Yankees have been holding auditions at first base. Juan Rivera entered play on Wednesday batting .305 in 59 spring at-bats and could also make the club, and Cashman said he would not try to send either Overbay or Rivera to Triple-A.

"I'm not looking at any of that stuff, whether it's him or Juan," Cashman said. "I'm just looking for, can they help us at the Major League level right now given our circumstances? That's why I'm looking at everything I can look at."

It seems strange to make a decision based on three days of Spring Training play, but Cashman pointed out he has made unconventional moves in the past. In 2011, the Yankees gave right-hander Brian Gordon two spot starts based on a statistical assessment from the team's director of quantitative analysis, Michael Fishman.

"We have our scouting reports," Cashman said. "It's better than the alternative of choosing to not even [look]. Nothing ventured, nothing gained."

Aardsma hopeful he'll be in Yanks' bullpen

TAMPA, Fla. -- Yankees right-hander David Aardsma pitched a scoreless inning in an intrasquad game on Wednesday and hopes that he has shown enough to lock up a roster spot in the bullpen.

"There's a great opportunity here," Aardsma said. "I think we're going to have a lot better team than people are expecting. I think we've got a good core group of guys and we've got a good bullpen. To have a chance to be a part of that is going to be special."

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said that Aardsma has bounced back from a groin injury earlier in camp, but he is not ready to lock in any roster decisions. Aardsma has a 3.86 ERA in seven spring innings.

"We're going to talk about our bullpen and our rotation and how it fits," said Girardi, who added that having both Ivan Nova and David Phelps on the staff could impact decisions. "That changes things, so we'll have to see what we do."

Pitching coach Larry Rothschild said that Aardsma is "behind a little bit" in building his arm strength, but added that "it's starting to come now."

Bombers bits

• Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano was scratched from Wednesday's game against the Orioles in Sarasota due to a stomach bug, according to Girardi.

• Cashman said that it was a "tough call" to issue infield prospect David Adams his outright release on Tuesday, but said that his hand was forced because of the rash of significant injuries the Yankees have suffered.

"He's been banged up and hurt," Cashman said. "When he's healthy, I know he can swing the bat."

Even if Adams had not been released on Tuesday, the Yankees would have eventually had to make a move with him later to clear room on the 40-man roster, according to Cashman.

• Cashman said that he will not consider moving Teixeira to the 60-day disabled list because the organization believes there is a chance he will be ready to return from his partially torn right tendon sheath before June.

"I'm not going to all of a sudden put ourselves in a position where he's ready the second week of May, but I've got to wait for it," Cashman said. "I can't do that. Those games are too important."

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Phelps strong before Yanks' bats break out vs. O's

By Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com | 3/27/2013 10:40 P.M. ET

SARASOTA, Fla. -- Yankees starter David Phelps struck out nine and pitched into the sixth inning as New York beat the Orioles, 11-8, in Grapefruit League action Wednesday night at Ed Smith Stadium.

Phelps allowed three runs over 5 1/3 innings, scattering four hits and two walks. Two of the runs came via Orioles outfielder Nate McLouth, who connected for a two-run homer, his second of the spring.

Orioles starter Jair Jurrjens exited in the second inning after being struck with a comebacker off the bat of Thomas Neal on his right side. Jurrjens, who is day to day with a right rib contusion, will get a precautionary X-ray Thursday morning. He was charged with two runs (one earned) on two hits and a walk before leaving.

Yankees second baseman Jayson Nix, playing in place of Robinson Cano -- who had a stomach virus -- walked and scored twice. New York padded its lead with a six-run seventh, highlighted by back-to-back homers from Brennan Boesch and Ben Francisco, both of which came off Chris Petrini.

Orioles reliever Tommy Hunter allowed a run on three hits while Troy Patton tossed a scoreless fourth. Sidearmer Mark Hendrickson surrendered a run in his second inning of work.

Orioles right fielder Nick Markakis went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, his second RBI coming in a five-run Baltimore seventh which trimmed the Yankees' lead to 10-8. Taylor Teagarden's three-run homer was the big blow in the inning.

Up next: The Yankees will host the Pirates at 1:05 p.m. ET Thursday at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Hiroki Kuroda will get the start for New York in his final Grapefruit League outing of the spring. Kuroda is 1-2 with a 2.31 ERA in three spring starts.

Brittany Ghiroli is a reporter for MLB.com. Read her blog, Britt's Bird Watch, and follow her on Twitter @britt_ghiroli. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Overbay essentially has three-day tryout with Yanks

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com | 03/27/2013 6:45 PM ET

TAMPA, Fla. -- On Wednesday, Lyle Overbay was in Day 2 of what essentially amounts to a three-day tryout to prove he can crack the Yankees' Opening Day roster.

The 36-year-old first baseman has a chance to impress the Yanks' coaching staff, and he started at first base against the Orioles in Sarasota, going 2-for-5 in the Yankees' 11-8 win.

Overbay appeared as a defensive replacement in Tuesday's 4-4 tie against the Astros, going 0-for-1. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said that Overbay, who was released by the Red Sox on Tuesday, is able to opt out of his Minor League contract on Friday.

"He got released, so I just gave him, basically, a three-day contract," Cashman said. "'Come on over, we'll take a quick peek.' Our scouts have watched some of the stuff he's been doing while he was with the Red Sox, so he'll get a three-day, NBA-style contract on the Minor League side."

With Mark Teixeira injured and expected to be out until at least the middle of May, the Yankees have been holding auditions at first base. Juan Rivera entered play on Wednesday batting .305 in 59 spring at-bats and could also make the club, and Cashman said he would not try to send either Overbay or Rivera to Triple-A.

"I'm not looking at any of that stuff, whether it's him or Juan," Cashman said. "I'm just looking for, can they help us at the Major League level right now given our circumstances? That's why I'm looking at everything I can look at."

It seems strange to make a decision based on three days of Spring Training play, but Cashman pointed out he has made unconventional moves in the past. In 2011, the Yankees gave right-hander Brian Gordon two spot starts based on a statistical assessment from the team's director of quantitative analysis, Michael Fishman.

"We have our scouting reports," Cashman said. "It's better than the alternative of choosing to not even [look]. Nothing ventured, nothing gained."

Jeter won't see game action until next week

TAMPA, Fla. -- Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter will not play in another Minor League game until at least next week, according to general manager Brian Cashman on Wednesday.

Jeter last played in a game on Saturday, when he grounded out in four at-bats as a designated hitter against the Pirates' Triple-A club.

Jeter reported feeling soreness in his surgically repaired left ankle the next day and has been receiving treatment. Cashman said that he does not expect Jeter to play until after the weekend.

"He was here today with the physical therapist getting treatment and doing some work that way, so we'll give him a few days to calm down," Cashman said. "We'll back off completely. He won't be doing anything; he won't be playing any games here for the next few days."

Cashman said that this should not be considered a new issue for Jeter, who will miss his first Opening Day since 2001 when he begins the season on the disabled list.

"We're just trying to back off and eliminate the pain," Cashman said.

Eduardo Nunez is expected to serve as the Yankees' Opening Day shortstop. Because of Jeter's recurring ankle soreness, Cashman said that he cannot project a realistic date that he will return to the Yankees' lineup.

Jeter will remain in Florida when the team goes north, and Cashman said that the Yankees must see Jeter play shortstop for nine innings in back-to-back extended spring training games before they will consider activating him.

"We'll get him going again, but I can't tell you what that date is going to be," Cashman said. "I know we'll have him back. I just can't tell you when yet."

Nova pleased arm is in shape for season

TAMPA, Fla. -- Ivan Nova said that his Spring Training has been "not good," but the Yankees right-hander has also been able to find a few silver linings.

Nova had a rough outing on Wednesday against the Blue Jays' Class A Dunedin lineup, permitting eight hits and seven runs (six earned) over five-plus innings, including two home runs.

"It wasn't what I was expecting," Nova said. "I was expecting to have a great spring, but I feel really good. It wasn't that bad, either. I didn't think it was that bad. I made a lot of adjustments with my mechanics and my arm, and that's a good point."

Nova struck out four and walked one in the 92-pitch outing, in which he worked with catcher Chris Stewart. Nova compiled a 4.19 ERA over 19 1/3 Grapefruit League innings, spanning five starts.

"A lot of people look into the ERAs and other stuff," Nova said. "I'm not looking into the ERAs. I'm just looking that my arm is in shape and do what I intend to do with my mechanics."

Nova has been working with pitching coach Larry Rothschild on shortening the arm action of his delivery, and said that he feels like the mechanical adjustments are "in my mind already."

Because Phil Hughes will begin the season on the disabled list, Nova and David Phelps will both begin the season in New York's rotation. Rothschild did not argue with Nova's assessment that his spring could have been better.

"I don't think he pitched as well as we'd like him to, but a lot of times that doesn't make a difference," Rothschild said. "As long as his stamina's there and he's built up strength-wise, pitch-wise and things like that.

"But, obviously, if you have your druthers, you'd want to see him pitch really well and make quality pitches throughout. He's made a lot of quality pitches and then he's made some mistakes, and so the mistakes have caught him."

Aardsma hopeful he'll be in Yanks' bullpen

TAMPA, Fla. -- Yankees right-hander David Aardsma pitched a scoreless inning in an intrasquad game on Wednesday and hopes that he has shown enough to lock up a roster spot in the bullpen.

"There's a great opportunity here," Aardsma said. "I think we're going to have a lot better team than people are expecting. I think we've got a good core group of guys and we've got a good bullpen. To have a chance to be a part of that is going to be special."

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said that Aardsma has bounced back from a groin injury earlier in camp, but he is not ready to lock in any roster decisions. Aardsma has a 3.86 ERA in seven spring innings.

"We're going to talk about our bullpen and our rotation and how it fits," said Girardi, who added that having both Ivan Nova and David Phelps on the staff could impact decisions. "That changes things, so we'll have to see what we do."

Pitching coach Larry Rothschild said that Aardsma is "behind a little bit" in building his arm strength, but added that "it's starting to come now."

Bombers bits

• Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano was scratched from Wednesday's game against the Orioles in Sarasota due to a stomach bug, according to Girardi.

• Cashman said that it was a "tough call" to issue infield prospect David Adams his outright release on Tuesday, but said that his hand was forced because of the rash of significant injuries the Yankees have suffered.

"He's been banged up and hurt," Cashman said. "When he's healthy, I know he can swing the bat."

Even if Adams had not been released on Tuesday, the Yankees would have eventually had to make a move with him later to clear room on the 40-man roster, according to Cashman.

• Cashman said that he will not consider moving Teixeira to the 60-day disabled list because the organization believes there is a chance he will be ready to return from his partially torn right tendon sheath before June.

"I'm not going to all of a sudden put ourselves in a position where he's ready the second week of May, but I've got to wait for it," Cashman said. "I can't do that. Those games are too important."

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Yankees claim righty Otero off waivers from Giants

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com | 3/26/2013 4:07 P.M. ET

TAMPA, Fla. -- The Yankees announced on Tuesday that they have claimed right-hander Dan Otero off waivers from the Giants.

Otero, 28, had no record and a 5.84 ERA in 12 relief appearances over three stints with San Francisco last season. He was 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA in eight appearances with the Giants this spring.

In a corresponding move to make room on the 40-man roster, the Yankees placed left-hander Cesar Cabral on the 60-day disabled list.

Bryan Hoch is a reporter forMLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Now a Yankee, Wells looks to show his stripes

TAMPA, Fla. -- When last season ended, Vernon Wells began the process of figuring out why things had gone so wrong. He'd been one of baseball's rising stars for the first five years of his career, making the American League All-Star team twice and finishing eighth in the AL Most Valuable Player Award balloting in 2003. Wells won three Gold Gloves for his play in center field.

Beginning around the time the Blue Jays signed him to a seven-year, $126 million contract extension after the 2006 season, Wells began a steady decline in production. The Blue Jays traded him to the Angels after the 2010 season, and his slide continued. After hitting .230 last season, he went to work.

Wells studied hours of video to compare his swing from the last couple of seasons against his best seasons. He immediately saw the difference.

"You get caught up in hitting home runs and seeing how far you can hit 'em and your swing changes," Wells said Tuesday afternoon as he prepared to play his first Spring Training game for the Yankees.

And that was the focus of Wells' offseason. To shorten his swing. To hit the ball to right field. To stop worrying about home runs.

"It was a time to kind of reflect on a lot of things and digest a lot of things that took place over the last couple of years," Wells said. "When I saw my contact point over the last couple of years, I was far too out in front. Everything through the course of the offseason was hitting the right side of the cage. Doing that will allow me to still use that field with authority."

It's impossible to know if Wells can ever again be what he once was. He's 34 now and trying to reverse years of bad habits. But he has had a nice Spring Training, hitting .361 for the Angels with a 1.112 OPS. Spring Training statistics can mean almost nothing, but for Wells, they provide a flicker of hope that he still has something left in the tank.

"It's been over the last four or five years," Wells said. "You get away with it at times. You get away with it in Toronto, just because if you hit a ball well, it's going to go out. You start trying to hit fourth and fifth decks instead of just worrying about getting hits. It's been a learning experience the last couple of years, but I'm glad I went through it. You get a chance to correct some wrongs.

"These last three weeks have been a matter of trying to stay inside the ball and hit the ball hard. It's just a byproduct of taking good swings and keeping my hands short. You live, and you learn. Now I've just got to be consistent with this approach. When I am, I'm a much better player than I have been the last couple of years."

Someone wonders if the big contract had changed the way Wells played, either his preparation or something else.

"You just go out and play the game as you have since you're a kid," he said. "It's fun to write about. You hear those things from time to time. I said from the beginning, no one's worth that kind of money. It's what the market is at the time. You can catch the market at a good time. You can catch the market at a bad time. I caught the market at a good time. I go out and play the game the same way as I did when I was a little kid growing up. You always respect the game. Enjoy your time in uniform."

On Wells' first day as a member of the Yankees, he was upbeat about the whole thing. He said when the Angels asked him to approve the trade on Sunday, he began getting excited, and not just because the right field at Yankee Stadium -- the place he should be exploiting -- is huge.

"Just the history," Wells said. "The names that are in this clubhouse. This is special. This is baseball. This is the center of it all. This is a fun way for things to go toward the end of my career. There's no other place like it."

Wells joins the Yanks at a time when Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira and Curtis Granderson are all injured, and general manager Brian Cashman has scoured the waiver wire for help.

The Yankees still believe they can contend. They need some of their injured players to return and play at a high level. They need their pitching staff -- still one of baseball's best -- to stay healthy.

And they need their new veterans -- Kevin Youkilis, Travis Hafner and now Wells -- to be productive. If all those things happen, the Yanks will still have a chance.

For now, the goal is to get Wells onto the field and let him begin this next chapter of his career.

"It's an exciting place to be," Wells said. "There's great expectations and great responsibility. To have that and be in this uniform, I couldn't ask for anything more."

Richard Justice is a columnist for MLB.com. Read his blog, Justice4U. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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CC settles down after rough first inning vs. Astros

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com | 3/26/2013 10:22 P.M. ET

TAMPA, Fla. -- CC Sabathia surrendered four runs, including a Brandon Barnes solo homer, in his final tuneup before Opening Day as the Astros and Yankees played to a 4-4 tie in 10 innings on Tuesday at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

Houston touched Sabathia for a three-run first inning, as Chris Carter, Justin Maxwell and Carlos Corporan picked up RBIs in the frame. Barnes connected for his fifth home run of the spring off Sabathia in the fourth inning.

In line to make his fifth Opening Day start in a Yankees uniform and 10th overall on April 1 at Yankee Stadium, Sabathia allowed six hits over five innings. He walked three and struck out four. The left-hander finished the Grapefruit League slate with a 5.40 ERA over 10 innings.

"I felt pretty good today," Sabathia said. "The cutter wasn't that good today, but I felt fine. You're just going to have those days sometimes, but I feel pretty good, so I'm ready to go."

Astros right-hander Brad Peacock limited New York to a run on two hits over five innings, walking two and striking out one in his third start and seventh appearance of the spring as he continues to compete for a spot in Houston's rotation.

Brett Gardner drove home Eduardo Nunez with a two-out triple off Peacock in the fifth inning. Kevin Youkilis added a run-scoring double off Wesley Wright in the sixth inning, marking Youkilis' team-leading 13th RBI of the spring.

The contest marked the Yankees debut for Vernon Wells, who was officially acquired from the Angels on Tuesday in exchange for two Minor Leaguers. Wells started in left field and batted sixth, going 0-for-3 with an RBI groundout.

Up next: David Phelps will make his seventh start of the spring on Wednesday as the Yankees visit the Orioles for a 7:05 p.m. ET contest at Sarasota's Ed Smith Stadium on MLB.TV. Phelps owns a 3.97 ERA over a team-leading 22 2/3 spring innings. The contest is expected to mark the first start of new Yankees first baseman Lyle Overbay, who is hoping to go north with the big league squad after signing a Minor League deal on Tuesday.

Bryan Hoch is a reporter forMLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Wells' impact for Yankees difficult to define

TAMPA, Fla. -- Vernon Wells might make the Yankees better, and after waves of bad news, it's at least a step in the right direction. He's a consummate professional and one of the most likable guys in baseball. In a different place and time, he might be a nice addition.

He's exactly the type of player who could find a comfort zone on a contending team. In similar situations, others have been invigorated by the environment and reborn by the lineup. That could be exactly what happened to Ichiro Suzuki after the Yankees acquired him last summer.

At this place and time, though, Wells is a puzzling move for the Yankees because even at a discounted price -- estimated to be between $5 million and $7 million each of the next two seasons -- he's no bargain.

At 34, he has struggled mightily during two years with the Angels, hitting a combined .222 with a .667 OPS. Last season, he batted .232 against right-handed pitching, .227 against lefties.

He might not even be an upgrade over Brennan Boesch, who has been penciled in to play left field for the Yankees. Boesch is seven years younger than Wells and has significantly better numbers the past two seasons: a .261 batting average and .726 OPS.

However, Boesch's decline has been dramatic. He was very solid in 2011 (.799 OPS) and not very good in 2012 (.659 OPS). The Tigers let him go this spring because they hadn't seen enough improvement.

The Yankees took a chance on him, and just when he seemed likely to be in the Opening Day lineup, he pulled a muscle in his side and may not even be available. His absence would put Ben Francisco in left. He, too, had better numbers than Wells the past two seasons.

Francisco has been with five organizations the last nine months, and given Wells' ability to play all three outfield spots well, he's a gamble worth taking unless the financial commitment keeps the Yankees from making a more significant move.

In the end, the Yankees probably are going to get better only if Derek Jeter, Curtis Granderson, Mark Teixeira and maybe even Alex Rodriguez get healthy and contribute this season.

At the moment, the Yankees believe Granderson will be back sometime in May. As for the other three, there's no way to know when they'll be back or how they'll play.

And now for a defense of the organization. The Yankees are going to be torched over the next few days for spending money now when they declined to spend it this offseason.

That's not fair. Had they known that A-Rod, Jeter, Granderson and Teixeira would all be on the disabled list on Opening Day, the Yankees' offseason might have been different.

Otherwise, they did everything they said they would do. They declined to get into bidding wars for Nick Swisher and Russell Martin and decided not to match the deals Raul Ibanez and Eric Chavez got with the Mariners and D-backs, respectively.

Their blueprint was sound until players started going down. Now they're in a nearly desperate situation, which has led them to acquiring Wells.

Things can still change quickly. Inside the organization, there's optimism that some of their best young talent -- including highly rated prospects Mason Williams and Tyler Austin -- will take big steps toward the Major Leagues this season.

They could end up being trade assets or part of a larger roster overhaul. Relying on them is a different way of doing business, but it's also the plan general manager Brian Cashman laid out more than a year ago because ownership wants him to have the payroll under $189 million by Opening Day 2014.

Given all the franchise's resources to spend on scouting and the Draft and on player development, there's no reason the Yankees can't still compete at the highest levels.

If $189 million doesn't buy a winner, then the organization has problems that have nothing to do with spending. For now, though, almost everything bad that can happen to a franchise has happened to the Yankees. Wells may not save this season, but he's not going to make things worse. All things considered, that's progress.

Richard Justice is a columnist for MLB.com. Read his blog, Justice4U. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Wang happy to be back where he started

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com | 3/25/2013 11:52 A.M. ET

TAMPA, Fla. -- Tugging on a Yankees cap, Chien-Ming Wang said on Monday that it felt just like old times to go through the paces of a workout at the club's Minor League complex.

Wang returned to the Yankees last week, having shown enough promise during his World Baseball Classic stint with Chinese Taipei to warrant a Minor League contract. He is expected to start the season with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

"It's like back in the day," Wang said through an interpreter. "This was my first team. This is where I started. I feel great."

Wang played catch and took fielding practice at the club's Himes Avenue complex across the highway from George M. Steinbrenner Field.

He expects to throw a bullpen session on Wednesday, and he said he selected the Yankees from a group of "four or five" interested clubs, all of whom offered Minor League deals.

"It was an easy decision for me, because I never wanted to leave," Wang said.

Wang, who will turn 33 on March 31, was 55-26 with a 4.16 ERA in 109 games (104 starts) with the Yankees from 2005-09, including back-to-back 19-victory seasons in 2006 and '07. His 46 wins from 2006-08 were tied for the third most among all American League pitchers, trailing only Roy Halladay (52) and Josh Beckett (48).

His career was derailed when he injured his right foot running the bases in a June 2008 Interleague game against the Astros in Houston.

After struggling through an injury-marred 2009 with the Yankees, going 1-6 with a 9.64 ERA, Wang missed all of 2010 with the Nationals while recovering from right shoulder surgery before resurfacing in the big leagues in 2011. He went 6-6 with a 4.94 ERA in 21 games (16 starts) with Washington in 2011-12.

"He was a very good pitcher for the New York Yankees," manager Joe Girardi said last week. "It's unfortunate that he's had some injuries that have cost him. He was really good."

Wang made two starts for Chinese Taipei during the 2013 Classic, logging a victory and holding opponents scoreless over 12 innings. He said that his health is "much better" this year, and that he looks forward to pitching every fifth day in a rotation.

He represents a depth acquisition for the Yankees, who project to have CC Sabathia, Hiroki Kuroda, Andy Pettitte, David Phelps and Ivan Nova in their rotation to open the season. Phil Hughes is expected to join the group for the second turn through the rotation, taking the spot of either Nova or Phelps.

Wang said that his phone buzzed with some familiar numbers when his deal with the Yankees was officially announced.

"That day, Joba [Chamberlain] and Pettitte called me," Wang said. "They said, 'Welcome back.'"

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Former Yankees pitcher Trucks dies at 95

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com | 3/25/2013 6:04 P.M. ET

TAMPA, Fla. -- Virgil Trucks, who had the distinction of being the oldest living Yankees player, died on Saturday evening at his home in Calera, Ala. He was 95.

The right-hander enjoyed a 17-year career in the big leagues and made 25 relief appearances with the Yankees in 1958, his last season in the Majors, going 2-1 with a 4.54 ERA.

He is also the last pitcher to throw a complete-game no-hitter against the Yankees in the Bronx, which he did on Aug. 25, 1952, with the Detroit Tigers.

Trucks threw two no-hitters during the 1952 campaign, but remarkably went just 5-19 that season before winning a career-best 20 games in 1953.

According to the Detroit News, Trucks was hospitalized on Thursday morning with what doctors said was pneumonia. He had five children, several grand- and great-grandchildren and is survived by his fourth wife, Elizabeth Ann.

Trucks finished his career with a 177-135 mark and a 3.39 ERA. He pitched 2,682 1/3 innings in his career, striking out 1,534 batters.

He played 12 seasons with the Tigers and also spent time with the White Sox (three years), the Kansas City A's (two), and the St. Louis Browns (one). Trucks was twice an All-Star (1949 and '54) and finished fifth in the Most Valuable Player Award voting in '53.

Services for Trucks will be held on Thursday at Charter Funeral Home in Calera. Trucks served with the Navy and will be buried with honors at the Alabama National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made in Trucks' name to either the St. Jude's Children's Hospital or the Amazing Grace Worship Center (P.O. Box 157, Saginaw, AL 35137).

According to the Yankees, available records now indicate that 93-year-old Rugger Ardizoia is the oldest living Yankee.

Ardizoia made just one Major League relief appearance in his career, pitching two innings on April 30, 1947, in a 15-5 Yankees loss to the Browns in St. Louis.

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter at @bryanhoch. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Improved defense has Nunez ready to play shortstop

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com | 03/24/2013 7:08 PM ET

TAMPA, Fla. -- With Derek Jeter expected to miss his first Opening Day since 2001, the Yankees are ready to entrust Eduardo Nunez with a starting role at shortstop until the captain is able to return.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said that he has been pleased with what he has seen from Nunez, who went 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI triple in New York's 7-6 win over the Rays on Sunday.

"He's worked very hard on his defense, he's swung the bat well, he's run the bases well," Girardi said. "He provides a speed option that we really didn't have last year a whole lot. You get him and Gardy [Brett Gardner] in the lineup, and it could create some problems."

Nunez joked this week that he has not been throwing as many balls in the stands behind first base this spring, but that has not been by coincidence.

Nunez has been working with infield coach Mick Kelleher on his arm action, something he showed off on a fourth-inning play Sunday. Nunez whirled behind second base on Shelley Duncan's grounder up the middle, throwing accurately on a bounce to first baseman Juan Rivera, who did not scoop the infield hit.

"He's bouncing it there on purpose," Girardi said. "It's on the money, and it's a good throw. It does show you what kind of progress he's made. That's one of the things he's worked on. He went and worked with Mick on that play."

Mo dealing with migraines, but Yanks not worried

TAMPA, Fla. -- Yankees closer Mariano Rivera has been dealing with severe migraine headaches this spring, but the team does not believe that the issue is serious.

Rivera said that he was feeling better when asked about the headaches on Sunday, which were first reported by the New York Post.

"Everything is fine. I'm good," Rivera said. "When it comes to my head, I'm worried. I have to check. I don't like to feel headaches. I just wanted to know what it was; I wanted to know what was going on."

The Yankees sent Rivera for a CAT scan and blood test as a precaution.

"We're not worried at all," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. "We have to follow certain protocols. He mentioned he was having some migraines, so there's a fire drill you have to run through just to be cautious.

"So we did that, expecting the results to be negative, and they were. So there's no issues. He might have the migraines, but they're not anything. All those tests were good."

Bombers bits

• Yankees outfielder Brennan Boesch (sore left rib cage) is "feeling good," according to Cashman. Boesch told the team that they were being "overly cautious" in holding him out of action on Sunday, but he could return to play on Tuesday.

• Cashman said that he has been impressed by the work ethic shown by first baseman Mark Teixeira (strained right forearm), who has been working out in the gym at George M. Steinbrenner Field as he hopes to rejoin the team in the middle of May.

"He's a monster," Cashman said. "He's going through all this different stuff with his legs and his arms. He's making sure that whatever he can do while being down because of the wrist or the hand, that he can close the gap as best he possibly can on every other aspect."

• The Yankees announced that infielders Walter Ibarra, Addison Maruszak and Jose Pirela have been reassigned to Minor League camp.

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Mo dealing with migraines, but Yanks not worried

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com | 03/24/2013 7:08 PM ET

TAMPA, Fla. -- Yankees closer Mariano Rivera has been dealing with severe migraine headaches this spring, but the team does not believe that the issue is serious.

Rivera said that he was feeling better when asked about the headaches on Sunday, which were first reported by the New York Post.

"Everything is fine. I'm good," Rivera said. "When it comes to my head, I'm worried. I have to check. I don't like to feel headaches. I just wanted to know what it was; I wanted to know what was going on."

The Yankees sent Rivera for a CAT scan and blood test as a precaution.

"We're not worried at all," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. "We have to follow certain protocols. He mentioned he was having some migraines, so there's a fire drill you have to run through just to be cautious.

"So we did that, expecting the results to be negative, and they were. So there's no issues. He might have the migraines, but they're not anything. All those tests were good."

Improved defense has Nunez ready to play shortstop

TAMPA, Fla. -- With Derek Jeter expected to miss his first Opening Day since 2001, the Yankees are ready to entrust Eduardo Nunez with a starting role at shortstop until the captain is able to return.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said that he has been pleased with what he has seen from Nunez, who went 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI triple in New York's 7-6 win over the Rays on Sunday.

"He's worked very hard on his defense, he's swung the bat well, he's run the bases well," Girardi said. "He provides a speed option that we really didn't have last year a whole lot. You get him and Gardy [Brett Gardner] in the lineup, and it could create some problems."

Nunez joked this week that he has not been throwing as many balls in the stands behind first base this spring, but that has not been by coincidence.

Nunez has been working with infield coach Mick Kelleher on his arm action, something he showed off on a fourth-inning play Sunday. Nunez whirled behind second base on Shelley Duncan's grounder up the middle, throwing accurately on a bounce to first baseman Juan Rivera, who did not scoop the infield hit.

"He's bouncing it there on purpose," Girardi said. "It's on the money, and it's a good throw. It does show you what kind of progress he's made. That's one of the things he's worked on. He went and worked with Mick on that play."

Bombers bits

• Yankees outfielder Brennan Boesch (sore left rib cage) is "feeling good," according to Cashman. Boesch told the team that they were being "overly cautious" in holding him out of action on Sunday, but he could return to play on Tuesday.

• Cashman said that he has been impressed by the work ethic shown by first baseman Mark Teixeira (strained right forearm), who has been working out in the gym at George M. Steinbrenner Field as he hopes to rejoin the team in the middle of May.

"He's a monster," Cashman said. "He's going through all this different stuff with his legs and his arms. He's making sure that whatever he can do while being down because of the wrist or the hand, that he can close the gap as best he possibly can on every other aspect."

• The Yankees announced that infielders Walter Ibarra, Addison Maruszak and Jose Pirela have been reassigned to Minor League camp.

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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