Jeter returns to lineup
06/09/2006 9:25 PM ET
Notes: Jeter returns to lineup
Captain starts as team's designated hitter on Friday
By Peter Zellen / Special to MLB.com
NEW YORK -- Derek Jeter figured if his sore right thumb was well enough to allow him to throw, then he could return to the field after missing the last three games.
Turns out Joe Torre didn't even need to see that much.
After watching Jeter take batting practice for the first time since getting hit in the thumb by Baltimore's Rodrigo Lopez on Sunday, Torre felt it was time to get his captain back in the lineup, even if it wasn't at shortstop.
So Torre inserted Jeter back into his usual place as the No. 2 hitter on Friday, only as the designated hitter.
"He had a couple of rounds and [batting coach Don Mattingly] was comfortable watching him; and what I saw, I was comfortable watching," Torre said. "It may be a few days before he can throw, so if we wait for him to throw, he's going to be out for a while. We'll just take what we can get right now."
Taking fielding practice for the first time since Sunday as well, Jeter said the thumb was improved, but he was still having problems throwing the ball. With a day off on Monday, the Yankees will probably err on the side of caution and keep Jeter off the field the rest of the weekend to give his thumb more rest.
Miguel Cairo started his fourth straight game at shortstop in Jeter's place.
"I'm not throwing as the DH, so it should be OK. It's pretty much a day-to-day thing. Hopefully I'll be able to play [the field] tomorrow," Jeter said coming off the field. "I'll be all right. It's better than it was. It's more of a feel thing. I can't squeeze [the ball]."
Still, Jeter couldn't avoid getting hit again, as Oakland's Dan Haren plunked Jeter on the left elbow in the third inning during his second at-bat of the game.
Jeter came into Friday night's game hitting .344 with five home runs and 41 RBIs in 53 games.
Proctor no gamble: A day after suffering a blown save and letting in five Red Sox runs, three of which were charged to him, right-handed reliever Scott Proctor wants the ball again -- as soon as possible.
Asked if he wanted to pitch on Friday, Proctor said: "Oh, heck yeah. I think a guy using that as an off-day is an excuse. It's just, 'Go out there and do your job.'"
Proctor pitched 1 1/3 innings and was pulled in the seventh inning on Thursday after giving up a three-run home run by Jason Varitek, raising Proctor's ERA to 4.02, the highest it has been since the first week of the season.
Torre, however, remains confident in Proctor, who has filled in exceptionally well in a setup role while Tanyon Sturtze struggled early in the year and was eventually lost for the season to rotator cuff surgery.
"Proctor is a young man with a great arm who's still learning to do a job. We sort of forced him into this," said Torre, who wants to see Proctor be more aggressive with his fastball rather than nip at the corners like he has a tendency to do. "This was Sturtze's job that he's doing."
Bubba on the mend: Outfielder Bubba Crosby, on the disabled list since May 19 with an injured right hamstring, started a rehab assignment Friday with Class A Tampa. Playing in his first game, Crosby went 1-for-3 with a single and was hit by a pitch in the 2-1 win over Dunedin.
Red Sox re-do: Wednesday's rainout at Yankee Stadium against the Red Sox will be rescheduled as part of a separate-admission, day-night doubleheader at the Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 16.
The regularly scheduled game that day will start at 1:05 p.m. ET, with the makeup game scheduled to start at 8:05 p.m. Tickets for the June 7 game will only be honored for the 8:05 p.m. game. Tickets may also be exchanged for any remaining regular-season home game this season and can be done so only at Yankee Stadium advance ticket windows.
On deck: The Yankees continue their three-game series with Oakland on Saturday as Mike Mussina matches up with Kirk Saarloos. First pitch is scheduled for 1:25 p.m. ET.
Peter Zellen is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
Notes: Jeter returns to lineup
Captain starts as team's designated hitter on Friday
By Peter Zellen / Special to MLB.com
NEW YORK -- Derek Jeter figured if his sore right thumb was well enough to allow him to throw, then he could return to the field after missing the last three games.
Turns out Joe Torre didn't even need to see that much.
After watching Jeter take batting practice for the first time since getting hit in the thumb by Baltimore's Rodrigo Lopez on Sunday, Torre felt it was time to get his captain back in the lineup, even if it wasn't at shortstop.
So Torre inserted Jeter back into his usual place as the No. 2 hitter on Friday, only as the designated hitter.
"He had a couple of rounds and [batting coach Don Mattingly] was comfortable watching him; and what I saw, I was comfortable watching," Torre said. "It may be a few days before he can throw, so if we wait for him to throw, he's going to be out for a while. We'll just take what we can get right now."
Taking fielding practice for the first time since Sunday as well, Jeter said the thumb was improved, but he was still having problems throwing the ball. With a day off on Monday, the Yankees will probably err on the side of caution and keep Jeter off the field the rest of the weekend to give his thumb more rest.
Miguel Cairo started his fourth straight game at shortstop in Jeter's place.
"I'm not throwing as the DH, so it should be OK. It's pretty much a day-to-day thing. Hopefully I'll be able to play [the field] tomorrow," Jeter said coming off the field. "I'll be all right. It's better than it was. It's more of a feel thing. I can't squeeze [the ball]."
Still, Jeter couldn't avoid getting hit again, as Oakland's Dan Haren plunked Jeter on the left elbow in the third inning during his second at-bat of the game.
Jeter came into Friday night's game hitting .344 with five home runs and 41 RBIs in 53 games.
Proctor no gamble: A day after suffering a blown save and letting in five Red Sox runs, three of which were charged to him, right-handed reliever Scott Proctor wants the ball again -- as soon as possible.
Asked if he wanted to pitch on Friday, Proctor said: "Oh, heck yeah. I think a guy using that as an off-day is an excuse. It's just, 'Go out there and do your job.'"
Proctor pitched 1 1/3 innings and was pulled in the seventh inning on Thursday after giving up a three-run home run by Jason Varitek, raising Proctor's ERA to 4.02, the highest it has been since the first week of the season.
Torre, however, remains confident in Proctor, who has filled in exceptionally well in a setup role while Tanyon Sturtze struggled early in the year and was eventually lost for the season to rotator cuff surgery.
"Proctor is a young man with a great arm who's still learning to do a job. We sort of forced him into this," said Torre, who wants to see Proctor be more aggressive with his fastball rather than nip at the corners like he has a tendency to do. "This was Sturtze's job that he's doing."
Bubba on the mend: Outfielder Bubba Crosby, on the disabled list since May 19 with an injured right hamstring, started a rehab assignment Friday with Class A Tampa. Playing in his first game, Crosby went 1-for-3 with a single and was hit by a pitch in the 2-1 win over Dunedin.
Red Sox re-do: Wednesday's rainout at Yankee Stadium against the Red Sox will be rescheduled as part of a separate-admission, day-night doubleheader at the Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 16.
The regularly scheduled game that day will start at 1:05 p.m. ET, with the makeup game scheduled to start at 8:05 p.m. Tickets for the June 7 game will only be honored for the 8:05 p.m. game. Tickets may also be exchanged for any remaining regular-season home game this season and can be done so only at Yankee Stadium advance ticket windows.
On deck: The Yankees continue their three-game series with Oakland on Saturday as Mike Mussina matches up with Kirk Saarloos. First pitch is scheduled for 1:25 p.m. ET.
Peter Zellen 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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