Middle of Yanks Line Up, Pitching Staff Fail to Show up Again

Mark Teixeira is slumping like it's April. Alex Rodriguez is following suit. Robinson Cano is cooling off.

Brett Gardner's average has dropped 54 points in two weeks and Francisco Cervelli's hot start seems like a mere memory now. The Yankees offense has been dormant for almost two weeks now, except for the two games against Boston.

Not to mention that the entire starting pitching staff is struggling at the same time, something that wasn't an issue before because at the beginning of the season everyone was pitching well at the same time.

Last night was just the latest sample, C.C. Sabathia. He struggled with his control, his velocity was down, he had poor pitch selection and his pitches were flat last night against the Mets. The Yanks suddenly are a season-high six games behind the Rays - who took the rubber game in Houston Sunday - in the AL East after another failed comeback bid in the ninth inning of Sunday night's 6-4 loss at Citi Field.

Hampered by a rash of injuries - and undermined largely by a poor week of pitching both in the rotation and in the bullpen - they went 2-5 in their challenge week against the Red Sox (1-1), Rays (0-2) and Mets (1-2). Yet as Joe Girardi said after this latest loss, "The sun will come up tomorrow."

"It's been a tough one," said Sabathia, who was tagged for six runs for the second time in his last three starts, including two homers by previously powerless Mets outfielder Jason Bay. "We have a veteran ballclub and we have to keep pushing through until guys get healthy and we get our full lineup back."

It's true that the Yankees are without one-third of their regular starting nine - Jorge Posada last week joining Curtis Granderson and Nick Johnson on the disabled list.

But fill-ins such as Francisco Cervelli, Juan Miranda, Kevin Russon and Marcus Thames have provided several key hits in recent games. Derek Jeter rapped three hits Sunday night to reach 2,800 in his career, but Teixeira was 1-for-his-last-26 before a fluke infield hit during the ninth-inning rally after Gardner had been called out on a close play at first.

"As far as the replay, you can't tell either way. If he gets on there for us, it's a big hit," said Girardi, who argued the Gardner call. "The replays, from what I understand, were not conclusive either way, so what are you going to do?"

Teixeira's second hit set the stage for Rodriguez as the go-ahead run against closer Francisco Rodriguez, but K-Rod fanned A-Rod on a full-count changeup to seal the Mets' rubber-game victory.

And, ultimately, that ninth could not fumigate the 26 Subway innings before that when the Yanks went 10-for-49 with men on base, 4-for-24 with runners in scoring position and had mustered all of six runs.

"It's right where you want to be, a great matchup. He gave me some pitches to hit but I fouled them back. . . . You wish you could have those back," A-Rod said. "But I think it was a good sign the last two innings. For a game that was 6-0 to come down the last at-bat, I'll take my chances there."

Still, asked about mounting disappointment over a week's worth of failure against divisional and geographical foes, Rodriguez acknowledged, "There's no question there is a lot of frustration, because we know we're capable of doing a lot more, but collectively we're just not getting it done right now."

Even before the game, Girardi had admitted "we've had better weeks, I think you could definitely say that." He listed what he described as a "multitude of problems," including a fallback in starting pitching, bullpen issues and an inability to hit in the clutch. At least I'm not the only one that sees the problems this team currently has.

Last night the Yanks had the leadoff man on against Johan Santana in each of the first three innings and did not score, and then did not get another hit until Cervelli launched a ball off the left-field wall in the seventh. The Yanks protested it was a homer, but upon replay review it was shown to have not cleared the orange line in left.

Regardless, Cervelli with all of one home run in his muscle memory assumed too much, went into a trot and ended up with a single. That was unacceptable -- or a pretty good summation of the week.

Derek Jeter perked up offensively with three hits last night, but that was somewhat negated by two grounders up the middle that he should have fielded and did not. His range to his left -- a non-issue last year -- is again problematic.

Gardner was installed in the two-hole, and was 0-for-13 against the Mets, and if you are wondering if the Yanks will miss Johnny Damon this season, that is a fair question. And to throw more salt into the wound, Teixeira, A-Rod and Cano finished the Subway Series without an RBI and combined to leave 19 runners on base.

"If you push the panic button every time you have a bad week, you'd probably push it more than once," Girardi said. "We just haven't played particularly well. . . . Obviously we want to get back to winning series after series and playing better."

This is not about panic. This is about Posada, Granderson, Johnson and Alfredo Aceves on the DL. This is about none of the big offseason moves (Vazquez, Granderson, Johnson, Chan Ho Park or Randy Winn) playing well. This is about the Core Four looking their age. This is about the No. 2 hole in the lineup becoming a sinkhole. This is about Jeter's limited range and Girardi's limited bullpen choices.

Now that George Steinbrenner is largely out of the picture, the Yankees preach constancy. C.C. Sabathia will have a bad start every now and then, Teixeira will slump and A-Rod will eventually lose a great battle. Yet the players' track records strongly suggest better times shortly ahead.

Maybe it is just a bad week. Or maybe the Subway was the latest revelation of a strong team going a bit off the rails.

Jose Lima Passes Away at 37

Former All-Star right-hander Jose Lima died Sunday morning at his home in Los Angeles at the age of 37.

The cause of death was ruled a heart attack, according to his wife, Dorca Astacio.

"Jose was complaining while sleeping and I just thought he was having a nightmare," Astacio told ESPNdeportes.com. "I called the paramedics, but they couldn't help him."

Lima, who referred to his often colorful outings as "Lima Time," was 89-102 in 13 seasons with the Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets.

He was selected to the All-Star Game with Houston in 1999, when he won a career-high 21 games, while going 21-10 in 35 starts with a 3.58 ERA for the NL Central champion Astros.

Lima didn't return to the major leagues after being released by the Mets in 2006, when he went 0-4 in four games pitched.

Last winter, Lima played for the Aguilas Cibaenas in the Dominican Republic and had announced plans to do the same in the upcoming season.

"This is a shock for us because Lima was a young man who seemed healthy and nobody imagined this," said Tomas Jimenez, manager of the Aguilas Cibaenas.

Lima is survived by his wife and five children.

The Los Angeles Police Department's forensic unit told Lima's family that his body would be released Wednesday. Lima's family confirmed to ESPNdeportes.com that he would be buried in the Dominican Republic.

Mets shortstop Jose Reyes, a native of Santiago, the same Dominican region in which Lima was born, said he thought of Lima like an older brother.

"I could always reach out to him when I needed guidance and advice," Reyes said in a phone interview. "His passing truly hurts."

Astros president of baseball operations Tal Smith called Lima "certainly one of the most entertaining personalities to ever don an Astros uniform."

"For two years, he was one of the most successful pitchers in franchise history, winning 37 games and pitching a total of 479 innings in those two seasons," Smith said in a statement on the team's website. "He pitched and lived life with great flair and enthusiasm."

Astros owner Drayton McLane reflected on Lima's off-the-field attributes.

"He could dance, he could sing, but his best gift of all was that he was an extremely happy person," McLane said in a statement. "He just lit up our clubhouse with his personality, which was his greatest asset. Jose was not shortchanged in life in any way. He lived life to the fullest every day."

"Everyone will remember Jose for his antics on the mound," said former Astro Craig Biggio, a teammate of Lima's. "But he was a tremendous teammate and a great competitor. It's a big loss for the Astros baseball family."

Royals designated hitter Jose Guillen, who played with Lima for the Escogido Lions of the Dominican winter league, said he heard of Lima's death before Sunday's game in Kansas City against Colorado.

"A writer told me the news while I was at batting practice and I just dropped the bat. I froze," Guillen said.

Guillen added that he'll wear the initials JL on his helmet as a sign of respect for his deceased friend.

"This is painful. Jose Lima has died," said Red Sox DH David Ortiz, who also played with Lima in the Dominican league.

Dodger owner Frank McCourt released a statement in which he fondly recalled Lima's singing of the national anthem before a home game in 2004, during his one season with the Dodgers.

"We are shocked and saddened to learn of the tragic loss of Jose Lima," McCourt said in the release. "Though he was taken from us way too soon, he truly lived his life to the fullest and his personality was simply unforgettable. He had the ability to light up a room and that's exactly what he did every time I saw him."

In the 2004 National League Division Series, Lima pitched a five-hit shutout against the St. Louis Cardinals in front of a sell-out crowd at Dodger Stadium. It was the Dodgers first postseason win since Game 5 of the 1988 World Series.

According to McCourt, Lima had rejoined the Dodgers organization within the past month as a member of their alumni association, attending a game Friday night amid plans to open a youth baseball academy this summer in Los Angeles "to help teach the game he loved to youngsters."

"He was committed to making appearances in the community on behalf of the team, including an upcoming musical performance at a Viva Los Dodgers event this summer," McCourt said.

Lima last donned a major league jersey with the Mets, and former first baseman Keith Hernandez said it was an honor to know Lima wore his No. 17.

"Lima was one of the most charismatic figures in baseball," Hernandez said. "It is a tragedy that he passed away so early in life."

Rest in peace, Jose Lima. "Lima Time" will be missed and so will you.

Vazquez Shines, Leaves Early with Figure Injury

After starting his night by further redeeming himself with six scoreless innings, Javier Vazquez ended it early with a bruised right index finger.

After getting X-rays on the finger, the Yankees doctors said it was not broken and Vazquez proclaimed himself good to go for his next start.

"I'm pretty sure I'm making my next start," Vazquez said after the game.

It appeared the injury that forced Vazquez to leave the Yankees-Mets game occurred in the top of the seventh. As Vazquez successfully laid down a sacrifice bunt, it looked as if the pitch from Elmer Dessens also connected with his index finger.

Before the injury, Vazquez had a nearly flawless night. It was not until the fifth inning that the Mets picked up their first hit, a harmless one-out single by Angel Pagan. Vazquez presumably would have pitched the seventh if he were not hurt.

The outing was the third consecutive impressive performance by Vazquez. On Monday, Vazquez pitched in relief. In the unenviable spot of facing Kevin Youkilis with two runners on in the ninth, Vazquez used four pitches to strike out Youkilis.

Vazquez had last started a week-and-a-half ago when he pitched seven innings of two-run ball in a loss at Detroit.

This has got to be one of the most embarrassing moments of his career, though. He is a pitcher and his lone job when he steps up to the plate with men on base is to sacrifice them over. Being from the National League it should be especially easy for him to lay down a decent sacrifice bunt, but instead he got his fingers in the way and bunted the ball with them. Are you kidding me?!

Just when you thought nothing else could go wrong, there you go. I guess it's like they say, "if you watch baseball long enough, you see it all." Well there's something new!

Granderson to Scranton for Rehab, Due Back Next Weekend

Yankees center fielder Curtis Granderson is scheduled to begin a minor league rehab assignment on Saturday designed to get him back to the team by next weekend's series against the Cleveland Indians at Yankee Stadium.

Granderson, who has missed 18 games since suffering a Grade 2 strain of the left groin in a game May 1 against the White Sox, was at Citi Field Friday night for the opening game of the three-game Subway Series between the Yankees and Mets, but did not plan on staying for more than an inning or so. He was then scheduled to fly to Louisville to join the Yankees Triple-A Scranton-Wilkes Barre affiliate, for whom he is slated to DH on Saturday.

"I want to see how the environment is here," Granderson said. "I was looking forward to this series. I heard a lot about it, seen it on TV, so I want to catch an inning or so before I head for the airport."
Granderson said the tentative plan is for a five-game, alternating assignment -- DH on Saturday, play the outfield on Sunday, then back to DH Monday, outfield on Tuesday and then, following an off-day on Wednesday, play in the first game of a doubleheader on Thursday before rejoining the Yankees for the weekend series against the Indians, which begins Friday night in the Bronx.

"I'm excited to get out there," he said. "I feel like it's the first game of spring training and I'm ready to play."

Granderson suffered the injury while going from first to third in the sixth inning of a 7-6 loss to the White Sox. He pulled up after rounding second but continued, limping, to third base, where he was removed from the game.

Since then, Granderson's recovery has proceeded rapidly. He has been taking batting practice and shagging flies for the past several days and took his regular turn in the cage before Friday night's game.

"We can only push it so much when you're not in a game situation, without fans in the stands and things being on the line, but so far, nothing is bothering me," he said. "I haven't had to run a double or triple out of the box hard or dive after a ball yet or anything, but it's been feeling better every day."

At the time of his injury, Granderson was hitting .265 with two homers and four RBIs. In his absence, Brett Gardner has performed well in the role of everyday center fielder. Gardner is currently hitting .330 with one home run and eight RBIs.

Once Granderson returns from his rehab stint, he will hopefully be a big boost in a somewhat dormant Yankees line-up.

Since his injury on May 1, the Yankees have a lack of offense that has showed in series against the Detroit Tigers and Tampa Bay Rays, where they managed to lose both series because their offense could not come up big when necessary.

Grandy's return will also mean that Randy Winn can return to his role as bench player/pinch hitter since he has been struggling immensely since being inserted into the every day starting line-up as the left fielder.

Winn is better suited for this role anyway. He hasn't been able to catch up to low 90s fastballs, which is a problem if you're a major league hitter. If you can't catch up to those pitches, I think it is time to start considering your status in this league. Nonetheless, it will be good to have Granderson back.

Posada Official Placed on DL, Yanks Call Up Moeller to Replace Him

Leading up to Thursday night's game with Tampa Bay, the Yankees placed Jorge Posada (hairline foot fracture) on the 15-day disabled list and sent reliever Mark Melancon to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

The Bombers purchased the contract of catcher Chad Moeller and infielder Kevin Russo. Moeller was not on the 40-man roster, so to do that the Yanks moved Nick Johnson to the 60-day disabled list to make room for Moeller.

Russo has been getting some playing time in the outfield as well at Scranton, and manager Joe Girardi said he could play in the outfield as well up here, considering all the recent injuries. "Russo can do a lot of different things," Girardi said.

Good because the way things are looking now, they might need him real bad.

Yanks Continue to Get Bitten by Injury Bug, Lose Posada and Thames

Jorge Posada is the latest Yankee to wind up on the disabled list after an MRI revealed he has a hairline fracture on the bottom of his right foot.

The injury is expected to keep Posada out of action for three to four weeks, according to manager Joe Girardi. Posada suffered the injury when the Minnesota Twins' Michael Cuddyer fouled a ball off the top of his foot in the eighth inning of a game on Sunday.

"It just wasn't feeling right," said Posada, 38, whose injury was originally described as "a knot" on the top of his foot from where the ball struck him. "The pain moved from the top of the foot to the bottom and I was hoping it was just a bone bruise. But I woke up this morning and I was still limping a little bit so we decided to get an MRI."

Girardi, who made the announcement after the Yankees lost to the Tampa Bay Rays 10-6 Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium to drop four games back in the AL East race, said Posada's injury would be encased in a boot, although he did not know for how long. "We're thinking it'll be three to four weeks before we can get him back on the field," he said.

Posada's injury leaves Francisco Cervelli as the only experienced catcher on the Yankees' major league roster. Girardi refused to say what the club would do to replace Posada, but the Yankees do have veteran Chad Moeller, recently released by the Orioles, in their minor-league system as well as 20-year-old prospect Jesus Montero, currently hitting .229 with three HRs and 19 RBIs for Triple-A Scranton.

"We're still discussing what we're going to do," Girardi said. "I think by four or five o'clock [Thursday] we'll have a pretty good idea what we're going to do."

Posada is the latest Yankee to go on the DL, joining center fielder Curtis Granderson (groin strain), DH Nick Johnson (wrist surgery) and reliever Alfredo Aceves (lower back strain). Previously, reliever Chan Ho Park missed 30 games with a hamstring strain but rejoined the team on Monday. And outfielder Nick Swisher has missed four games with soreness in his left bicep. His return is still unknown.

On Wednesday, outfielder Marcus Thames sprained his left ankle when he accidentally stepped on his bat on a sixth inning single. He is listed as day to day.

"We can't feel sorry for ourselves. Teams playing us don't feel sorry for us," shortstop Derek Jeter said. "Other guys have to pick it up."

Posada, a five-time All-Star, is batting .326 with six homers and 14 RBIs. He also has eight doubles and a .406 on-base percentage.

"He's our catcher, a DH, switch-hitter. It's a big hurdle. We're going to have to overcome it," pitcher A.J. Burnett said.

Posada missed 22 games last May with a strained right hamstring. He is a dangerous presence in the middle of the lineup and a respected veteran in the clubhouse, one of the Yankees' lauded "Core Four" along with Jeter, Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera.

"It's tough, no matter what," Posada said. "You want to be out there. You see the team losing, you see the team struggling and you want to help. I really can't tell you how frustrating it is."

The 24-year-old Cervelli has played extremely well this season, emerging as a pleasant surprise at the plate. He's hitting .373 with no homers and 17 RBIs in 67 at-bats, but he's not a power threat and he knows how valuable Posada is to the Yankees.

"That's sad," Cervelli said after hearing the news. "Everybody knows we need him."

Girardi said Swisher will be evaluated again Thursday to see if he can play. The switch-hitter hasn't been able to swing left-handed, and right-hander James Shields starts Thursday night for the Rays against Pettitte.

This is just two more injuries on the long list already present. Posada's injury is more of a blow to the line-up than that of Thames.

Posada, whether we like it or not, is the starting catcher and one of the leaders on the team. He can still hit and is a key component to the success of the line-up. His absence will leave a big void in the line-up, and the players used to fill that void will need to step up big and play to their capabilities if the Yanks plan on being successful without Posada in the line-up.

As for Thames, that has to be one of the weirdest injuries I have ever heard of. He stepped on his own bat while jogging to first after hitting a single.

How does that even happen? You are supposed to toss the bat far enough away after you hit the ball and you would think he would be conscious of where the bat is after he drops it, but I guess not. I mean it's not like he threw the bat on the grass; he threw it right in the middle of the baseline. Are you kidding me?!

Thames has been hitting very well and his absence will leave a void because he was already filling the void left by Nick Johnson and Nick Swisher. The Yankees might have to re-call outfielder Greg Golson on an emergency basis to fill in for Thames.

When a player gets sent to the minors he has to stay there for at least ten days, unless there is an injury, then he may be recalled on an emergency basis. This would be the case if the Yankees decided to recall Golson.

The Yanks are in a tough spot here with all their injuries. They weren't exactly built for this to happen. Is this the 2009 Mets all over again, but in the Bronx? I guess we are going to find out one way or another, aren't we?

Vazquez to the 'Pen for Sox Series, Friday Start Could Be in Question

With his bullpen thin, New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi is making Javier Vazquez a reliever for at least the Boston Red Sox series. The move puts Vazquez's scheduled start against the New York Mets on Friday in question.

"We want him to start on Friday, but sometimes you have unseen circumstances," Girardi said.

Despite the fact the Yankees are trying to protect Vazquez, this creates the possibility of repeating the scenario that began Yankees fans' ire toward Vazquez. In 2004, he entered in relief and gave up a grand slam to Johnny Damon that helped the Sox beat the Yankees in Game 7 of the ALCS.

On Sunday, Vazquez would have started if rain had not altered the Yankees rotation in Detroit. Instead Sergio Mitre, normally the long reliever, began Sunday's game and Vazquez moved to the bullpen.

"Everything got screwed up," Girardi said.

Now, Vazquez is being moved again. Vazquez, who wasn't available after Girardi made the news official, was already dealing with being skipped for his regular starting turn.

"I'm usually the guy they bump somebody else to get me in there," Vazquez said. "So I know how it works."

Now, he is heading to the bullpen and there is a question of when he will start again.

ESPNNewYork.com first reported that Vazquez could be headed to the bullpen on Sunday morning.

Well it's about time! This trade is looking more and more like a crapshoot every day that goes by.

Vazquez has been terrible in round two with the Yankees, Boone Logan has been mediocre and Melky Cabrera hasn't been doing much better over in Atlanta either.

Maybe him going to the bullpen will serve as a wake up call, or as a place where he can re-discover his confidence, kind of like what Phil Hughes did last season.

Either way, Vazquez needs to step up and get himself right or he will be run out of town once again.

Vazquez to be Skipped Again

Four days ago, Javier Vazquez had his finest outing of the season -- seven innings of five hit, two-run, seven-strikeout ball against the Detroit Tigers. He kept the Yankees in the game, gave his bullpen some much-needed rest, gave his team a more-than-good chance to win.

In return, he gets a a nine-day vacation.

Manager Joe Girardi announced Friday that despite Vazquez's good outing against the Tigers -- who went on to win the game, 2-0, on a day the Yankee bats went dead against Rick Porcello -- he would be skipped in the rotation until Friday night when the Yankees open a three-game interleague series against the Mets at Citi Field.

"I know Javy wants to pitch but that was we thought was the right decision at this time," Girardi said after the Yankees 7-1 victory at the Stadium Saturday afternoon. "You can always look for rhymes and reasons for things and sometimes there just isn't any."

Girardi said the biggest factor in skipping Vazquez's turn was the rainout in Detroit on Tuesday, which necessitated moving Vazquez's last start to Wednesday and prevented him from pitching Sunday on three day's rest.

As expected, Sergio Mitre started in Vazquez's place in the finale against the Twins Sunday afternoon. What was less expected was that rather than move everyone in their rotation back a day, the Yankees would push Vazquez to the back of the line coming off his strongest start of the year.

"We took everything into account," Girardi said. "There were a lot of internal discussions and what we came up with is that this is the best thing for our club right now."

And yet, for the second straight time, it seemed as if the Yankees were avoiding pitching Vazquez against the Red Sox, who come to the Bronx Monday night for a two-game set. Last weekend, Girardi skipped Vazquez's turn at Fenway Park, saying he preferred to save Vazquez for interleague play, where his bat could be a factor in games at National League parks without a DH.

This weekend, Girardi threw in the weather as a co-conspirator in keeping Vazquez (1-4, 8.10 ERA) on a roughly once-every 10 days pitching schedule. "We got into a little pickle because of the rain," he said. "We believe we're getting Javy back to where he needs to be. Players have always had to learn to adapt. Last time, we gave him 10 days and he pitched very well."

Vazquez, who had his young son with him at the ballpark before Saturday's game, was not in the clubhouse afterward to comment. Before the game, general manager Brian Cashman was complimentary about Vazquez' performance against the Tigers but non-committal on his immediate Yankee future.

"I thought he was much better [Wednesday] against a very tough lineup," Cashman said. "He gave us a real quality start when we needed one. That was an important step for him and for us. He's got to feel much better now than he has all year."

But when asked his opinion of whether Vazquez should start against Boston, Cashman said, "I always let our manager be the first one to discuss publicly what our plan is." Which Girardi did after the game.

It seems as though Vazquez has been replaced by Phil Hughes as the number four starter in the rotation. And guess what Yankee fans. That's a great thing!

Hughes has been one of the best pitchers in the game this season so far and Vazquez has, well, been one of the worst. Vazquez as the number five starter gives the Yankees many options in terms of matching up starting pitchers against opponents like the Red Sox, Rays and Mets.

Johnson May Face Surgery, Granderson Sprints

Yankees designated hitter Nick Johnson is unlikely to return to action before the first week of June and could be out until August.

Johnson's sore right wrist may require surgery to remove inflamed tissue, GM Brian Cashman said. The surgery would keep him out four to six weeks on top of the month he already is expected to miss.
Cashman said Johnson got a cortisone shot in the wrist last weekend in Boston, but it will not be known for a couple of weeks if that treatment was effective.

If not, then Johnson is headed under the knife for at least the third time in his injury-plagued career.
"It's my intention to learn if [the shot] worked as soon as possible," Cashman said before Saturday's win over the Twins. "If not, then we want to go right to the surgery. When healthy, we know what this guy can do, but he can't do anything for us right now."

The Yankees signed Johnson to a one-year, $5.5 million deal after failing to come to terms with Johnny Damon, whose No. 2 spot in the lineup Johnson was expected to fill.

But Johnson struggled in the first 24 games of the season, hitting .167 with two homers and eight RBIs, plus 23 strikeouts in 73 at-bats.

He went on the disabled list May 8 after a game in Boston, his ninth trip to the DL in nine seasons. Johnson had surgery on the same wrist on his first tour of duty with the Yankees -- although Cashman said it was in a different area. Johnson also had surgery to repair a broken femur with the Washington Nationals.

"He'd be a $15 million a year player if he didn't have this history of injuries," Cashman said. "Instead you get what you get. When he's healthy you get a real productive bat but at the same time you have to deal with this, too. I knew what I was getting into when I started this thing."

Cashman said for now, Juan Miranda, a 27-year-old Cuban defector added to the roster from Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre on Thursday, would serve as Johnson's replacement.

"Juan's got ability and he's been waiting for an opportunity, so he's got it now," Cashman said. "For now, any problems we have will have to be handled with the roster or Triple-A. Nobody's interested in doing any business this early in the season. Before June 15, you're basically on your own."

The injury news out of the Yankees' clubhouse wasn't all bad, though. Center fielder Curtis Granderson, on the DL since May 2 with a strain of the left groin, ran eight sprints at the stadium Friday and hit off a tee for the first time since the injury and declared himself ready for the next phase of his rehab.

"I'm excited with how everything went," Granderson said. "But we still have to be cautious with it."
Granderson, who hoped to try running the bases as early as Sunday, could not put a timetable on when he might be ready to return. "It all depends on whether we have any setbacks," he said.

Let's be honest with ourselves here. Did anyone really not see this coming? The guy is more injury prone than myself, which if you know me, is saying a lot.

I'm sure Cashman is kicking himself for signing Johnson over Damon now, even if Damon is struggling a little bit up there in Detroit.

I was never a big fan of the Johnson signing anyway, as his average has never been that high, even though his OBP is usually pretty good. But all of that hinges on whether he is hurt or not, which is more often than not. I'm sure Johnson won't be back next year and that was clearly a waste of $5.5 mil.

Wilpon, Wang Discuss Potential Move to Queens for Islanders

Jeff Wilpon, the Mets' chief operating officer, said Tuesday he has talked with Islanders owner Charles Wang about building an arena in Queens as a possible home for the hockey team.

Wilpon told Newsday in an exclusive interview that he has had recent discussions with Wang about relocating the team to a new Queens arena and also said that it remains a possibility that he could buy the team.

"I've had conversations with Charles," Wilpon said by phone Tuesday, "and we've talked about Queens. We'd like to be helpful and I think Queens is an option. We built Citi Field well under budget and on time. I have all my guys ready.

"We haven't really discussed ownership. It has been more of, 'Can we get something synergistic with Citi Field and a hockey arena, what can happen here?' "

Although the majority of their conversations have focused on building a new arena, Wilpon has not ruled out the possibility of owning the Islanders.

Wang has lost an average of $23 million a year since buying the team 10 years ago and is impatient with the pace of the proposed Lighthouse Project.

With the Town of Hempstead attempting to downsize Lighthouse development plans and Wang frustrated by the additional time and money it would cost to scale it back, the two sides have failed to come to an agreement. Still, Nassau officials say they would like the team to remain in the county.

"We are working hard to keep the Islanders in Nassau County," County Executive Edward Mangano said Tuesday.

A modified development plan is expected to be presented at some point this summer, Hempstead Town officials said.

In addition to the potential landing spots for the Islanders, there has been speculation that Wang, who did not return calls seeking comment, might turn to the NHL for assistance and ask the league to take a controlling interest in the team.

"Totally and uncategorically untrue," NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said in an e-mail to Newsday.

The Wilpon-Wang connection, however, sheds new light on the team's situation.

Wilpon said he has been in touch with MLS commissioner Don Garber about bringing a soccer facility to the area as well, although the likelihood of building both a hockey and soccer venue looks slim.

"We probably can't do both," Wilpon said. "We just need to look at what could be done, as diverse as it is."

"We've had numerous discussions with Charles [Wang] and with Don Garber about soccer as well.
We've been in touch, talking to Charles about what can be done synergistically with all of his technological [assets]. He likes the market here and they have all been positive conversations with him."

While the dialogue between Wilpon and Wang is an encouraging sign to Islanders fans who would like to see the team stay in New York rather than relocating to Kansas City or a Canadian locale, nothing is imminent.

"We are certainly willing and able and happy to work with Mr. Wilpon, but we have not heard any concrete plan as of today of bringing the Islanders into Queens," Queens Borough President Helen Marshall said. "It has to be real."

Wilpon said in the interview he, Wang and Garber are talking.

"It wouldn't be fair to say we have made any verbal agreements or even a handshake agreement, but we're definitely in the exploratory phase with both of them," Wilpon said.

All I want to say is that if the Islanders have to leave Nassau County, the only place I would really want them to go to is Willets Point.

Willets Point is still very close to the Nassau-Queens border so it isn't as if they are moving very far away. However, as much as I would be ok with this move, I would still rather see them stay on Long Island.

Revis' Agent Meets With Jets

When the season ended, the Jets quietly started to negotiate a long-term contract extension for star cornerback Darrelle Revis. In fact, his agent arrived at the Jets' facility Thursday morning for face-to-face talks. But hold everything: Things could get sticky as the discussions move toward training camp.

Revis, due to make $1 million for the coming season, told ESPNNewYork.com that the Jets promised him a new contract by the start of the regular season. It can create a slippery slope when a team makes a promise like that, and the Jets have been accused in the past of reneging with other players.

"That's their word. That's what they said," said Revis, standing by his locker. "If you go back on your word, it's a problem."

Even though the Jets' initial proposals weren't close to his asking price, according to sources, the All-Pro cornerback remains hopeful a deal can be struck by the start of the season. Revis didn't issue any threats, but he also wouldn't guarantee he'd report to training camp Aug. 1 under his existing contract.

"I don't know," he said. "I guess we'll figure it out when July 31 comes. As of right now, we have a bunch of months to get things done. We'll see. I trust those guys. But I also know this is a business as well. [But] we believe them at their word. If you go back on your word, in general, in world society, when you go back on your word, it's a problem. It's just a problem."

The Jets couldn't be reached for immediate comment. The team has a policy of not commenting on contract negotiations.

Revis is an unusual situation because of the type of contract he signed as a rookie in 2007. It was a six-year deal, but he reached playing-time incentives in the first year and it voided to a four-year, $16 million contract. He already has made $15 million, an above-market salary for the 14th overall pick. But now it drops to $1 million, a seemingly ridiculous salary for a player who finished second in the NFL Defensive Player of the Year voting.

But here's where it gets tricky: The Jets have the option of buying back the fifth and sixth years for $20 million. They consider that a mere formality and, therefore, consider it a six-year contract. Remember, the two sides engaged in an acrimonious dispute in Revis' rookie year, resulting in a three-week holdout.

Revis is represented by New York-based agent Neil Schwartz, who also sparred with the Jets in contract disputes with Pete Kendall and Chris Baker. In those cases, the players, no longer with the team, accused the Jets' front office of breaking promises.

Revis is one of several Jets looking for new deals. On Wednesday, All-Pro center Nick Mangold, entering the final year of a five-year deal, said he'd like a new contract. Linebacker David Harris, a rising star, is entering the final year of a four-year deal. He told ESPNNewYork.com that he's happy with the Jets, but echoing Mangold's remarks, he'd like long-term security.

GM Mike Tannenbaum is going to be a busy man over the next few months, trying to satisfy his star players. The NFL's uncertain labor situation has complicated matters, especially with the Mangold and Harris negotiations.

They're being hurt by the new 30 percent rule, which states that salaries in a renegotiation can grow only by 30 percent from one year to the next. Revis is less impacted by the rule because he made more than the minimum last season. Teams can get around the rule by doling out ridiculously high signing bonuses, but they're leery of that because of a looming work stoppage in 2011.

Revis said he doesn't want his negotiations to "get out of hand," as he hopes to keep things positive. But he also believes he deserves a new deal even if the Jets contend he still has three years left.
"I outplayed it, so it really doesn't matter," Revis said.

If the Jets let Revis walk, I can guarantee you that there will not be one happy Jets fan come the 2011 season. This guy is the best cornerback in the entire NFL and they need to lock him up long term, they can't just let Revis Island float away.

Vazquez Finally Pitches Well, Hughes Continues to Impress As Yanks Split DH

That's more like it.

Javier Vazquez didn't win in probably his biggest start so far this season.

But Vazquez did the next best thing -- he pitched extremely well in the Yankees' 2-0 loss to the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on Wednesday afternoon.

That's how bad things had gone for Vazquez. It wasn't just about winning. It was about being competitive.

Vazquez was that and more. And the Tigers were a good test for the struggling right-hander. The Tigers entered the game with the second-best team batting average (.278) in the American League behind the Yankees.

Making his first start since May 1, Vazquez blanked the Tigers with ease through the first five innings on just one hit. In all, Vazquez pitched a season-high seven innings, allowing two runs on five hits. He also struck out seven and walked just two.

"Javy pitched a good game," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "We didn't score any runs.

"Javy threw the ball great, very pleased with what he did."

On just about any other day with this Yankees team, Vazquez (1-4 with an 8.10 ERA) would have been the winning pitcher. "He gave us a chance to win," Girardi said. "He went out and competed for us."

Coming into Game 1 of a day-night doubleheader, Vazquez -- who gave up five runs on seven hits in three innings against the White Sox in his previous start -- had been the Yankees' resident punching bag.

And for good reason.

While the rest of the rotation was pitching in near-Cy Young form almost every time out, Vazquez was getting pounded. Only Yankees fans were hitting him harder than opposing batters.

Vazquez was skipped from his normal turn Friday night in Boston. He was supposed to pitch on Monday. That got changed to Tuesday. When Tuesday's contest was rained out, he got the ball for Game 1 on Wednesday afternoon.

"When you're a starting pitcher, you expect to go out there and do well," Vazquez said. "Obviously, the way I was struggling, I wanted to kind of go out there and throw a good game. Thank God I did."

Vazquez established his fastball. "I didn't see anything different in him today," catcher Jorge Posada said. "He was just executing his pitches. It was shame we didn't score any runs. If we get him some runs, he's going to win the game."

The Yankees, and their worrisome fans, can relax for a minute. Vazquez looked more like the Vazquez who had a 2.87 ERA for the Atlanta Braves in 2009.

In the end, Vazquez could make GM Brian Cashman look like a smart man. If Vazquez gets his act together, the Yankees will have enough pitching over the course of the regular season and playoffs to repeat as champions.

Vazquez knows he isn't out of the woods. He knows there's still a lot of work to be done.

"In baseball it's funny," he said. "You might be doing great, then all of a sudden, one inning you might give up a five-spot or a four-spot.

"I was just concentrating on every pitch."

And it showed. Vazquez pitched from ahead, not behind. He was aggressive, in command for a large majority of the game. "Whenever you pitch better, you have better command," Girardi said. "He commanded the baseball well, all his pitches."

Even in his troublesome sixth inning, when he gave up the two runs, there were ground-ball hits that could have easily been outs. That's how close he came to giving up no runs at all.

"He's pitching extremely well," Derek Jeter said. "He went out there, threw strikes. He was ahead of guys."

Teammates took notice and were thrilled despite the loss. "I'm really happy for him," Posada said. "I'm always going to be in his corner. I care for the guy. He's a true professional who goes out there and doesn't make any excuses."

And even though the Yankees lost, Vazquez didn't have to make any for his performance.

Finally a quality start is in the books for Vazquez. Maybe now he can build off this and string together a streak of more quality starts, otherwise Yankees fans will be right back on his behind.

I, myself, am pulling for the guy because he is the consummate professional and doesn't talk trash like most guys in this day and age do.

On the other side of the coin, a guy who has been pitching well all season -- Phil Hughes -- put together another fantastic outing.

He went seven strong innings, giving up only five hits, walking one and striking out eight. This stellar outing earned him a win in Game 2 of the day-night doubleheader and improved his record to 5-0 with a pedestrian 1.38 ERA, tops in the American League and fourth in all of Major League Baseball.

The 23-year-old righty is the youngest Yankees starting pitcher to win his first five decisions since 1950, when Whitey Ford was 9-0.

Hughes gave up two hits in the seventh and two hits along with a walk in the fourth, getting out of both jams dominating the bottom of Detroit's order.

Hughes didn't need much run support, but got plenty with a six-run ninth as ex-Yankee Phil Coke gave up four runs on two hits, a walk and a hit batter. The Yanks went on to win 8-0 as Joba Chamberlain gave up only a hit in an otherwise perfect eighth and Mariano Rivera pitched a perfect ninth.

Alex Rodriguez's two-out single in the first scored Brett Gardner, who singled and stole his 16th base this season. Mark Teixeira's two-out single in the third brought home Derek Jeter, who walked and stole second.

But the story of the night game clearly was the fact that Hughes pitched another fantastic game. He is coming into his own on the mound and has a ton of confidence when he pitches thanks to him being so successful out of the bullpen last year.

I've always loved Phil Hughes and we all knew it was his job to lose going into Spring Training and now it seems like he's never going to give up that spot in the rotation as long as he plays the game of baseball.