Claggett called up, Ransom sent down

If you wanted proof that the Yankees have no faith in Sergio Mitre, this is it. Anthony Claggett was recalled today, and will most likely be the first to relieve Mitre if he is shelled tonight (via Tyler Kepner’s Twitter).

Peter Abraham is reporting backup utility player Cody Ransom has been DFA’d to make room for Claggett. Good riddance.

Ransom had absolutely no purpose on the team, while Claggett can hopefully eat some innings out of the bullpen tonight in order to save the rest of the pen for the Red Sox series.

Oh by the way, Claggett has  made one appearance for the Yankees this year, and it wasn’t pretty. Against the Indians, he allowed eight runs in 1-2/3 innings of relief of Chien-Ming Wang.

Claggett has compiled a 3.02 ERA in 59-2/3 innings at Triple-A this season.

Yankees blown out, Montero injures hand

It was an awful first day of August for the Yankees. It started off with a horrible roster move, then the club got crushed by the White Sox, and then their best hitting prospect, Jesus Montero, was hospitalized with a hand injury.

On top of everything, the Red Sox and Rays gained a game in the standings. Could it get any worse?

Another frustrating part of the horrible roster move is Cody Ransom played first base today instead of Eric Hinske, and went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts and five men left on base. I know it’s just one game, but Shelley Duncan did not deserve the boot (Period.)

The only good thing I can think of is the more the move doesn’t make sense, the more encouraged I am about Brian Cashman making another move (perhaps a pitcher). In other words, the move is so bizarre, it is only temporary and awaiting another move to be made.

Shelley demoted to make way for Hairston

Tyler Kepner has reported via Twitter that newly acquired Jerry Hairston Jr. has taken Shelley Duncan’s spot on the team. This leaves Cody Ransom and Hairston as the utility boys.

I know I’ve been posting a lot about Shelley recently, but this is a disgrace. He was thrilled to be back with the Yanks. How in the world do the Yankees think Ransom is better fit for the bench than Duncan?

Shelley’s minor league numbers are 100 times better than Ransom’s, and Ransom has never proven himself as a major league hitter.

In my mind, this puts Ransom fourth on the depth chart for third base, with Hairston and Eric Hinske ahead of him, and third up the middle behind Hairston.

Ransom is now a complete waste of a roster spot, as Duncan would have at least been a good pinch-hit guy in late-game situations (Ruben Sierra comes to mind). I really, really hope the Yankees aren’t done making moves, because this is an awful way to start a new month.

If this report is really true, it only makes me believe even more now that Brian Cashman is planning on adding an arm. I feel like any Triple-A pitcher would be of more use than Ransom right now.

Oh, and Duncan never got to play last night. He must have a lot of motivation right now in the minors.

Yankees, bullpen sweep Twins in season series

The Yankees (51-34) won another close game over the Twins (43-43) to earn the series and season series sweep. Brett Gardner and Cody Ransom starred on offense to beat the Twins in another tight game, 6-4.

Quick 'Cap:
Ransom, Gardner and Derek Jeter drove in a run in the second inning for the early lead, but the Twins rebounded with two of their own. Jason Kubel homered and Michael Cuddyer scored on Ransom's throwing error.

Interim starter Alfredo Aceves was not nearly as impressive as he has been out of the bullpen, but he wasn't a complete bust. The real story was the five pitchers after Aceves who shut out the Twins for 5-2/3 innings.

Ransom and Gardner added RBI singles in the fourth, and Mark Teixeira homered in the fifth. The Yankees' two-run lead held through second half of the game, and Mariano Rivera did his thing in the ninth. Full box score here.

Thoughts:
I'm a little bummed about Aceves, but the Yankees have asked a lot from a guy they were not expecting anything from. However, I am really glad to see Gardy hitting above average at the major league level. He's up to .286 on the year, and is 18/22 in steal attempts.

Line of the Day:
Jon Albaladejo: W, 1-2/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, 2 K. Since being called up, he's already notched two wins. Nice to see some possible development in his brief minor league stint.

Up Next:
The Yankees visit the west coast to face the Angels this weekend before he All-Star break. I'll have the full series preview posted before Friday's late-night game (10:05 p.m. EST).

Sixteen hits boost Yankees past Braves

The Yankees (40-32) roughed up Derek Lowe in a pitching matchup of two veterans, and went on to take an 11-7 victory of the Braves (34-38). Derek Jeter, Johnny Damon and Alex Rodriguez all had huge nights in the 16-hit feasting of Atlanta pitchers to take the series.

 

Quick ‘Cap:
Jeter scored once in each of the first three innings as the Yankees scored six times in that span. They added two more in the fourth off Lowe when Cody Ransom doubled in the gap in left-center field. Ransom was n the starting lineup for the first time since April in place of Robinson Cano (wrist).

 

Andy Pettitte made it through the first three innings relatively unscathed, but the Braves dropped the hammer on him in the fourth. Four hits, a walk, a hit batter and a Brett Gardner error gave the Braves five runs and sent Pettitte out of the game.

 

Alfredo Aceves and Phil Coke held Atlanta’s offense in check from the fifth inning until the ninth, but David Robertson allowed an earned run in his second straight appearance. Mariano Rivera was brought in to shut the door in the ninth, and he did, for the 499th time of his hall-of-fame career. Full box score here.

 

Thoughts:
The game lasted 3 hours and 49 minutes, and 370 pitches were thrown between the two teams (if my mental math is correct). It looks like A-Rod and the Yankees offense are back in order as the team has scored 19 times and slugged 26 hits in the past two nights. A-Rod is 5-for-15 with eight RBI over the last four games.

 

Line of the Night:
Mark Teixeira: 0-for-5 with a walk. He scored a run on a double play, but that means no RBI. He was the only player in the starting lineup without a hit, besides Pettitte.

 

Up Next:
CC Sabathia (6-4, 3.71) is set to go against the Mets Friday night under the new lights of Citi Field. The Mets counter with Mike Pelfrey (5-2, 4.74).

Welcome back, Ransom; so long, Veras and Berroa

Cody Ransom’s 60-day DL stint finally expired, and has been activated in place of Angel Berroa, who was designated for assignment. The Indians picked up Jose Veras, who was DFA’d on June 16 to make room for Brian Bruney, in exchange for cash.

 

The Yankees were just waiting for Ransom to finish serving his 60 days, as he had been with triple-A Scranton for a while, and it was an obvious choice to get rid of Berroa. Ransom joins Ramiro Pena as the two backup infielders.

 

I was glad when Veras got DFA’d, but I was a little sad to see him moved to another team. Veras certainly has major league stuff, he just needs to hone his skills in the minors a little more. I’ll be he has some success with the Indians by the end of this season.

Yankees injury updates: Nady, Molina, Marte, Ransom and other news

The Yankees are on a roll, but they could be even better when some rehabbing players return from the DL.  Here’s a quick rundown gathered from Peter Abraham & Jenny Vrentas of the NJ Star-Ledger:

• Xavier Nady (partially torn ligament in right elbow) – He started a throwing program on Monday and experienced some soreness very early on.  However, he “felt much better” on Tuesday, only experiencing soreness on two throws according to Joe Girardi.  Nady will take the day off today and continue throwing on Thursday.
• Jose Molina (strained left quad) – While playing in an extended spring training game in Tampa, he felt pain in his left quad and exited the game early.  MRI test results are coming soon, and the Yankees will make decisions from there.
• Damaso Marte (tendonitis in left shoulder) – He’s been on the 15-Day DL since April 26, so the Yankees are taking it very slow with him.  He will pitch a bullpen session this Friday in Tampa.
• Cody Ransom (right quad injury) – He was placed on the 60-Day DL on April 25, but seems to be ahead of schedule.  He will report to triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Thursday to begin a rehab assignment.

Unfortunately, it sounds like none of the four are close to a return.  But I still think Nady will have a huge impact on Nick Swisher when he returns, and Ransom should be a slight upgrade to Ramiro Pena.  To be honest, I don’t think Molina’s return is necessary because of Francisco Cervelli’s emergence.  Marte has not pitched well with the Yankees yet, but remember, he did help Ozzie Guillen and the White Sox win a World Series in 2005.

After Andy Pettitte left his start against Cleveland early because of back issues, there was some doubt as to whether he would make his next start.  But the lefty has, continually reassured he would make the start.  His latest reassurance,

“I feel good.  We haven’t even talked about me missing a start.  I am making my start.”

Chien-Ming Wang could be used as an emergency starter if something drastic were to happen.  Regarding Wang’s future in the bullpen, Girardi said, “We’re happy with the progress that he’s made.  But at this point we’re staying on schedule.”  On schedule meaning that Phil Hughes will make his start against David Price and the Rays on Friday. 

The Yankees highly-touted hitting prospect, Austin Jackson, is batting .346 as the everyday center fielder for Scranton.  Tyler Kepner of the NY Times wrote a wonderful feature on him, and focused a blog entry on him.  Both are highly suggested reads, as Jackson could make his debut with the Yankees by the end of this season.

Last but not least, a Quinnipiac friend from the newspaper, John Healy, has started a new Yankees blog along with another friend.  Check it out!

Yanks take first game at new stadium

Three all-time Yankees homered and the four relievers were perfect for the final four innings in the first game at the new Yankee Stadium tonight.

Chien-Ming Wang gave up three runs in the first two innings, but Robinson Cano and Hideki Matsui homered to give the Yankees a 4-3 lead in the third inning.  The Cubs tied it up at four in the fourth, but Cody Ransom's three-run bomb to left field in the bottom of the fourth gave the Yankees a 7-4 lead.

Wang pitched the fifth inning and then handed the ball off to Mariano Rivera, then to Jose Veras, then to Edwar Ramirez, and then to Jonathan Albaladejo.  The four relievers didn't allow a baserunner and struck out two in the process securing the Yankees first win at the new stadium.

Derek Jeter lived up to the hype as he led off the bottom of the first with a double, and went 2-for-2 with a walk for the game.

It always seems that in memorable games like these, the Yankees pride overpowers the opponent.  The last game at the old Yankee Stadium, Mariano Rivera got the final out.  

Yanks' home run barrage baffles Phils

Home runs from Hideki Matsui, Cody Ransom, Nick Swisher and Melky Cabrera totaled six runs for the Yankees, and helped take down the Phillies 10-2 today.

Matsui's two-run homer in the first was matched by back-to-back dingers from Chase Utley and Ryan Howard in the bottom of the first off of Joba Chamberlain.

Chamberlain's final line: 4.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 3 K, earning him the win.  The rest of the bullpen followed with 4 2/3 perfect innings.  Full box score here.

As mentioned in the CC Sabathia article on ESPN.com, Derek Jeter batted first and Johnny Damon batted second.  Joe Girardi said he will continue to use that lineup to see if it makes sense to use during the season.

Jeter went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, a double, and a steal.  The change seems to be working so far, but I wouldn't officially change it for the Opening Day lineup just yet.

Yankees have their way with defending champs

The Yankees annihilated the Phillies 12-0 today. The Yankees banged out 20 hits (16 singles) and only gave up six hits.

Joba Chamberlain, Brian Bruney, Kei Igawa, Jonathan Albaladejo and David Robertson pitched in the shutout. Chamberlain and Igawa alone combined for six innings.

Cody Ransom, Xavier Nady and Shelley Duncan added two hits apiece, but the only standout performer on offense was Nick Swisher; he went 3-for-4 with three RBIs. - Full box score

I know, I know, it's just spring training. Just seeing the score on the ESPN BottomLine jumped out at me so much. An obvious explanation for the one-sided game was that the Phillies hardly used any of their major leaguers, probably because they still have a lot of their core players from last season in the World Baseball Classic.

The only thing I'm taking from this game is that maybe Swisher is starting to shake off some of his offseason rust. He was batting just .130 going into the game.

Poll Results: Ransom to replace Rodriguez

It is pretty clear that Cody Ransom will be the temporary replacement for Alex Rodriguez at third base to start the season, according to voters.  Ransom's only realistic competition is Angel Berroa or if the Yankees acquired someone via trade.

Ransom:  13

Berroa:  2

Other:  3

I am guessing that Ransom will assume the ninth spot in the order, because their's really nobody else except maybe Brett Gardner in a "secret leadoff" role.  In that case, Ransom could bat eighth and Gardner could bat ninth.

CC bombed, Yanks lose to Tigers 7-4

CC Sabathia gave up five runs in the second inning as the Yankees were defeated 7-4 today by the Tigers. Our old friend, Gary Sheffield, hit two homers against us. 

From Anthony DicComa:

"I can't worry about it," Sabathia said. "Last year, I had a spring where I pitched great and then started the first half terrible. So hopefully, if I have a so-so spring, then I'll start the first half on fire."

Wouldn't we all love for him to get off to a hot start.

Alfredo Aceves gave up two solo homers in the third inning, but that was the last scoring for either team in the game.

The Yanks managed four runs (two earned) off Justin Verlander in the first two innings. Mark Teixeira and Johnny Damon added two hits apiece, and Cody Ransom had a steal and a fielding error.

Brian Bruney, Jose Veras and Mark Melancon were nearly perfect, surrendering just one hit.

Full box score here.

Yankees get a day off tomorrow. Chien-Ming Wang will make the start on Friday against the Red Sox.

Ransom building his case to replace A-Rod

Cody Ransom went 2-for-3 today against the Reds, and is now 8-for-23 this spring.

According to Mark Craig of the Newark Star-Ledger:

"With the team not wanting add payroll, not wanting to hurt the farm system and stuff like that, and we're going to get Alex back, we're going to go with what we have in camp," Cashman said.

Ransom is clearly the favorite, and according to Johnny Damon, he is "probably the best athlete on this team."  Look at this YouTube video that Fletch found of Ransom:

Woah. Maybe Damon's right, for once...

Opening day lineup projection

Okay. Life without Alex Rodriguez begins today as he had a successful surgery and is starting his rehab immediately.  The search begins to find a replacement for at least the first month of the season.

I have made this my new poll question, and it seems the options are Cody Ransom, Angel Berroa or somebody via trade.

Here's my projection for what the lineup is going to look like without A-Rod:

Johnny Damon LF

Derek Jeter SS

Mark Teixeira 1B

Jorge Posada C

Hideki Matsui DH

Xavier Nady RF

Robinson Cano 2B

Cody Ransom 3B

Brett Gardner CF

Remember, the above is what I think Joe Girardi will choose - not what I want.  To be honest, that doesn't look nearly as good as what it would have been with A-Rod sitting in the cleanup spot.  If Gardner continues his hot hitting, I don't see why they can't move him to leadoff, making it: 

Gardner

Jeter

Damon

Teixeira

I don't have a problem with Damon in the three-whole.  He did lead the Yankees last year in batting (.303).  My bias towards Gardner may be coming into play here.  Heck, I was at Yankee Stadium to see his debut last year.

Jeter faces Hughes along with USA team

In the top of the first inning, Dustin Pedroia led off the game with a bloop single to center on a 1-2 count off Phil Hughes.  Next in the batters box was Derek Jeter, Yankee captain, Derek Jeter.  He proceeded to ground into a typical 4-3 double play as Cody Ransom tagged out Pedroia and chucked it to first...I don' think Jeter did that on purpose, since there is hardly any fans at the game.

Ransom continued to work the glove against the next batter with a nice backhand stab off a Chipper Jones hot-shot up the middle.

After Damon whiffed to lead off the bottom half, Brett Gardner, Mark Teixeira and Jorge Posada gathered three consecutive singles to put the Yankees ahead 1-0.  Xavier Nady ended the threat by grounding into a double play.

Keep posted for future updates here, as well as the live box score.