A-Rod continues hot start

Alex Rodriguez continued his ridiculously torrid play, smashing another pair (Nos. 11 & 12) of long balls among a three-hit, three-run, four-RBI night on Friday.

A-Rod's blasts tie him with Mike Schmidt as the fastest to reach a dozen. Schmidt also hit 12 in the first 15 games back in 1976. Rodriguez is simply unconscious right now. He has hit in all 15 games this year, and 20 straight dating back to last year. Even his outs are long, as he flied to the warning track in his first at-bat. With 476 career dingers, Rodriguez has moved into the Top 25 of all time, passing Willie Stargell and Stan Musial on Friday. In addition to pacing the majors in long balls, A-Rod also tops baseball with 30 RBI and 65 total bases.

It will be interesting to see if he can keep up the pace because he has the talent to do so. We are not talking about Chris Shelton (remember his hot April last year?). Can he reach 70 plus homers this year? Stay tuned.

Damon might end up on DL

Johnny Damon had more than just cramps in his calf Monday and wasn't going to start Wednesday's game as planned. Damon, who was having a bigger problem with the right calf, showed up in the clubhouse Wednesday barely able to walk. There's a chance he might end up on the disabled list, putting Melky Cabrera in center field for a couple of weeks.
Source: Newsday

Wang to start season on disabled list

The Yankees will begin the season without the services of ace right-hander Chien-Ming Wang, who suffered a Grade 1 strain of his right hamstring while performing conditioning exercises on Friday. Wang, who turns 27 on March 31, is expected to miss at least the first three weeks of the season. Wang said he hopes to be able to return to a mound in "hopefully 10 days," which may be optimistic thinking. The Yankees plan to place Wang -- who said he was "very, very sad" -- on the disabled list retroactively at the conclusion of Spring Training.

A candidate to pitch on Opening Day on April 2 in the Bronx, Wang was the runner-up in last season's American League Cy Young Award voting. The hurler tied Minnesota's Johan Santana for the league lead in victories, finishing 19-6 with a 3.63 ERA in 34 games. In four starts this spring, Wang was 1-1 with a 2.57 ERA.

Cashman said that Wang's injury will open up a roster spot for another pitcher currently in Major League camp. The team still intends to carry 12 pitchers. Right-hander Jeff Karstens would appear to be a leading candidate to join the rotation. The 24-year-old has been a standout in Spring Training, compiling nine scoreless innings before he allowed four runs in 4 1/3 innings to the Blue Jays in his last start Monday.
Source: MLB.com

Pettitte battling back spasms

Yankees left-hander Andy Pettitte is expected to miss his scheduled spring start Friday because of back spasms. "I don't anticipate it being a major problem," Yankees manager Joe Torre said Tuesday. "He just got a little tightness. It seems to be pretty straightforward." Pettitte and Chien-Ming Wang are under consideration to start the April 2 opener against Tampa Bay.

Pettitte first experienced the back problems while working out Monday, and his scheduled bullpen session Tuesday was cancelled. Torre said that Pettitte should be ready for the start of the season if he is able to make a final spring training start next week. It doesn't appear to be something which will affect him into the regular season. He remains a top-30 Fantasy pitcher in all formats.
Source: CBS SportsLine.com

Pavano has strong side session

Carl Pavano threw a side session that was "outstanding," according to the New York Post. "And to me, that's the best news of all, because the more you pitch without any setbacks physically, the closer you are to getting the guy you signed up," manager Joe Torre told the paper. Pavano, who is starting the third season of a $39.95 million, four-year contract, hasn't pitched in the major leagues since June 27, 2005, due to shoulder, back, buttocks, elbow and rib injuries. Consider the veteran an injury-risk sleeper in deeper leagues on Draft Day. Anyone who makes starts behind that potent Yankees offense will be intriguing.
Source: CBS SportsLine.com

Kei Igawa: Racking Up K's, Struggling With Control

Kei Igawa, the 27-year-old Yankee pitcher from Japan, worked in and out of trouble on Thursday night in a 3-2 victory over the Braves at Legends Field. He pitched three scoreless innings but had trouble staying in the strike zone. The wild is that Igawa is not always able to stay in the strike zone. He walked four in three innings and threw 62 pitches (29 strikes). The effective is that when he does stay in the strike zone, he makes batters miss. Igawa, who fanned five on Thursday night, has struck out 12 and walked seven in seven innings in three starts. He has allowed eight hits.

Igawa and Carl Pavano still are expected to fill the final two spots in the Yankees' rotation behind Mike Mussina, Andy Pettitte and Chien-Ming Wang. Jeff Karstens (nine scoreless innings) is competing well for a spot, though, and Igawa and Pavano must give the Yankees reason to put them on the team beyond their contracts. Karstens could make the club as a long reliever.
Source: Newsday.com

Mussina: Struggles With Command

Mike Mussina allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits, walked one and struck out one over three innings in Tuesday’s loss to the Reds. Mussina has struggled with his command and topped out at about 86 mph this spring, which explains why his ERA is a bloated 5.62. Nevertheless, Yankees manager Joe Torre isn’t too concerned. "It's no different than it's been in past years," Torre said. "He just doesn't have his arm strength yet.” The 38-year-old Mussina is looking to regain the form he showed in 2006, when he went 15-7 with a 3.51 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 172 strikeouts.

Philip Hughes: Reassigned To Minors

Reassigned to Minor League camp after an underwhelming spring (7.71 ERA in 4 2/3 innings), top prospect Philip Hughes will focus on further developing his changeup and slider, considered his two weakest offerings. Though highly touted, Hughes seemed level-headed about the demotion, viewing it as a challenge rather than a sign of failure. "You can't come in here and expect to get big-league hitters out with just two pitches," the 20-year-old right-hander said. "I knew that from the start, but it's a matter of going out there and being able to command the third and fourth pitches. That'll be a key for me." How long it takes Hughes to refine his tertiary and quaternary pitches will likely determine whether he's called up before the All-Star break or after it.
Source: MLB.com

2007 Yankees Projected Lineup

2007 New York Yankees

Batting Order

1. CF Johnny Damon
2. SS Derek Jeter
3. RF Bobby Abreu
4. 3B Alex Rodriguez
5. DH Jason Giambi
6. LF Hideki Matsui
7. C Jorge Posada
8. 2B Robinson Cano
9. 1B Doug Mientkiewicz

On any other team, Melky Cabrera would be playing every day but unless one of the other outfielders gets hurt he'll struggle for at-bats.

Rotation

Chien-Ming Wang
Mike Mussina
Andy Pettitte
Kei Igawa
Carl Pavano

Closer: Mariano Rivera

Wang: Wins Will Come, K's Will Not

In 2006, Chien-Ming Wang went 19-6 with a 3.63 ERA, but he struck out only 76 batters in 218 innings. That ranked 130th among major-league pitchers, putting him alongside such non-Cy Young contenders as Steve Trachsel and Mark Redman.

Yesterday, in his second Grapefruit League start, Wang allowed two runs in three innings. He faced 12 batters. He struck out none of them.

So even if he doesn't match last year's record, which obviously reflects run support as well as his effort, "If he can throw 200 innings and be above the league average, he's extremely valuable to the Yankees," Keith Law, one of ESPN's baseball experts, said.

Fantasy owners will like Wang because of his wins potential and decent ERA on a solid Yankees club, but if your looking for strikeouts you will want to look elsewhere. Chien-Ming Wang tied for the most wins in the American League last season, but his strikeouts per nine innings ranked last among the top winners, at 3.14 K/9.
Source: Newsday.com

Rivera In Midseason Form

Mariano Rivera retired all three batters he faced in his Grapefruit League debut vs. the Tigers Monday. "Everything was good," Rivera said. "Today felt real, real good." Catcher Jorge Posada said Rivera's trademark cutter was "sick," which roughly translates as "midseason form." That's bad news for opposing hitters and good news for fantasy owners, who hope the 37-year-old closer can turn in a sub-2.00 ERA for the fifth straight season in 2007. The Sandman will log about 10 innings this spring, pitching about every other day.
Source: MLB.com

Kei Igawa Roughed Up

Kei Igawa's Grapefruit League debut was a rocky one on Monday, as the Japanese left-hander surrendered two earned runs on two hits and three walks in one-plus inning of work against Detroit. Despite his lack of commend, Igawa said his performance was about on par with where he usually is during preseason workouts in Japan, with his pitches sailing too high in the strike zone. "The result was not good," Igawa said through an interpreter, "but it was something I can learn from and move forward." Chalk up the rough debut to jitters, and give the 27-year-old southpaw a few more spring starts before assessing his big-league potential.
Source: MLB.com

Abreu Out 2 Weeks With Oblique Injury

Yankees right fielder Bobby Abreu is expected to miss at least two weeks after straining his right oblique during batting practice Monday, an injury manager Joe Torre said won't cause the team to make a new push for Bernie Williams to report.

Torre said Abreu will be ready for opening day.

"He didn't feel anything until he was hitting," Torre said. "It's just one of those things. I guess the good news is it's early. You can afford a couple weeks right now."

Abreu was scheduled to undergo tests Monday.

Torre said there are no plans to contact Williams, who rejected the Yankees' offer of a minor league contract and spring training invite.

"This is something that we're not looking at as long-term," Torre said of Abreu's injury. "When you're dealing with two weeks in spring training, you're certainly not going to throw up any flags."

After a telephone conversation during the first week of spring training Torre left two messages for Williams, but hasn't heard back.
Source: AP

Pavano Looking To Rebound From Injuries

Carl Pavano cleared another hurdle, and Phil Hughes impressed. It was a good day all around Thursday when the New York Yankees' projected rotation and top starting prospects threw batting practice for the first time. Pavano, starting the third season of a $39.95 million, four-year contract, hasn't pitched in the major leagues since June 27, 2005, due to shoulder, back, buttocks, elbow and rib injuries. He threw 35 pitches, including one that hit Alberto Gonzalez in the back. "Carl was good," manager Joe Torre said. "Gonzalez probably didn't think so. He got nailed. He's throwing the ball good. He's got a lot of movement on it. I think he's comfortable with the way he feels right now."

The Yankees are looking for Pavano to fill a spot at the back end of the rotation. "It's just about building up and get into the games," Pavano said. "Getting out there and competing again. I came off feeling good, so it's a positive. I felt like I good command of everything." Pavano is a big-time injury-risk sleeper on Draft Day. Any pitcher who has potential and will have a rotation spot with the Yankees deserves to be owned in all Fantasy leagues.
Source: CBS SportsLine.com