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| Thursday, March 22 | |||||
| Hernandez feels better after throwing | |||||
| TAMPA, Fla. – New York Yankees pitcher Orlando Hernandez
reported no pain from his ailing right elbow after playing catch
for eight minutes Wednesday.
Hernandez has not pitched in a game since March 9. He had his
first bullpen session since the injury stopped after just five
minutes last Sunday because of continued inflammation.
"I feel good. I feel better," Hernandez said through an
interpreter. "I feel good that it didn't hurt."
Manager Joe Torre said Hernandez would play catch again Thursday
and might throw off a mound Friday.
"Once he gets on a mound and he feels comfortable, and that's
the whole thing right now, a couple days later he'll probably be
able to pitch," Torre said. "It's how comfortable he is with
that."
Torre did not rule out "El Duque" being ready to pitch during
the first week of the regular season.
"He may not be at full-strength, arm strength-wise, but again
he'll still be able to take the ball and pitch," Torre said.
Shortstop Derek Jeter (right quadriceps) took batting practice
for the second straight day and should play Saturday.
Despite playing in just five games this spring because of injury
and illness, Torre expects Jeter to be ready for Opening Day.
Saberhagen set to face hitters for first time in two years FORT MYERS, Fla. – Bret Saberhagen will pitch an exhibition game for the Boston Red Sox Saturday, his first action against major league hitters since reconstructive shoulder surgery after the 1999 season. "I'll be excited, I'll be nervous," said Saberhagen, a two-time Cy Young Award winner and former World Series MVP. "All those emotions will be going." The start against Minnesota will probably last no more than two innings, Red Sox pitching coach Joe Kerrigan said Wednesday. "He's making his natural progression," Kerrigan said. "We're being cautious. The trainers have been great, but they tell us it's time to take the wraps off." Saberhagen, 36, has been taking his rehabilitation slowly after attempts to return to action last year stalled, and the pitcher said he might have rushed things. But this year, Kerrigan said Saberhagen has looked sharp and recovered quickly after throwing sessions, indicating his arm strength is good. It's just time to get him out on the mound, Kerrigan said. Keeping Saberhagen from speeding up his motion, and exposing his shoulder to injury, will be a big concern, he added. "The only time he gets in trouble is when he tries to throw too hard," he said. Giambi lifts A's to ninth straight win PHOENIX – Jason Giambi, still haggling with the Athletics over the final details of a long-term contract, had three doubles and two RBI to lead Oakland to a 13-10 win Wednesday over the Chicago White Sox – the A's ninth straight victory. Giambi, last year's AL MVP, is close to signing a six-year, $91 million deal. His current contract runs out at the end of this season. Giambi's double into the right-center gap came in a three-run third that also included an RBI double by Eric Chavez. Giambi also doubled in the fourth and sixth innings. Miguel Tejada hit his third homer of the spring, a solo shot, and Jose Ortiz had a two-run single for Oakland in the fourth. Adam Piatt had a two-run single in the fifth and hit his second homer of the spring, also a solo shot, to cap a five-run sixth that also included a two-run single by Tejada and a two-run double by Terrence Long. Castillo has poor outing; Cone cuts short throwing session FORT MYERS, Fla. – Frank Castillo answered questions about his spot in the Red Sox starting rotation Wednesday, but his performance in Boston's 12-7 win over the Philadelphia Phillies had nothing to do with it. Castillo had his first poor outing of the spring, allowing six earned runs in three innings. But afterward he told reporters that manager Jimy Williams had slotted him as the No. 3 starter, behind Hideo Nomo and ace Pedro Martinez. Williams would confirm only that Castillo was pitching the third game of the season. "I don't put numbers on people," he said. That leaves Tomo Ohka and Paxton Crawford for the final two slots, barring a trade. David Cone appears to be out of the mix after a throwing session was cut short Wednesday. Cone has a sore shoulder. "He went and threw again and didn't feel that great," Williams said. Cone wasn't in the clubhouse for comment after the game. Philadelphia hit Castillo hard early, taking a 1-0 lead on Scott Rolen's first inning sacrifice fly, and expanding that to 5-0 in the second inning on Rob Ducey's RBI single and a three-run homer by Marlon Anderson. The Red Sox got three back in their half of the inning on home runs by Jason Varitek and Chris Stynes off starter Randy Wolf, who allowed seven earned runs in 2 2/3 innings. Sosa slams homer No. 6; benches warned about beanballs MESA, Ariz. – Sammy Sosa hit his sixth home run of the spring and Julian Tavarez pitched six scoreless innings Wednesday as the Chicago Cubs beat the Colorado Rockies 4-0. Both benches were warned about beanballs in the top of the fourth inning, when Tavarez hit Jeff Cirillo with a pitch. The two players exchanged words as Cirillo walked to first base. "He just asked me if I was OK," Tavarez said. "I said, 'I'm OK.' I said I wasn't trying to hit him. I was ahead in the count." Tavarez (1-3), who pitched for the Rockies last season, allowed five hits. "I'm very happy with the spring I've had," Tavarez said. "(Pitching coach) Oscar Acosta has helped me out with a lot of things, talking about making pitches. That really helps. I'm able to use my slider now more and change speeds." The game was scoreless until two outs in the sixth. Bill Mueller then singled and Sosa followed by hitting a towering homer over the wall in left-center on a 2-1 pitch from Brian Bohanon. Bohanon (1-1) pitched six innings, giving up seven hits and two runs. The Cubs added two more runs in the eighth on Jose Nieves' home run and Todd Dunwoody's RBI double. Twins' Mientkiewicz suffers minor concussion ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Minnesota Twins first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz suffered a mild concussion and minor cuts on his head and face after a collision with Tampa Bay's Felix Martinez during the Twins-Devil Rays game Tuesday. Mientkiewicz was treated at a hospital, where CT scan results were normal. Mientkiewicz fielded a bunt by Martinez in the eighth inning of Tampa Bay's 6-5 victory and dived at Martinez. Mientkiewicz appeared to get struck by Martinez's knee. He lay on the ground for several minutes, conscious but in obvious pain, before being helped from the field. Morris makes pitch, Bonilla goes deep for Cards JUPITER, Fla. – Shane Andrews homered twice and Matt Morris became the first St. Louis pitcher to work more than five innings this spring as the Cardinals beat the Florida Marlins 12-2 Wednesday. That equaled the most runs the Cardinals have scored this spring as they had 16 hits, including a three-run homer by Bobby Bonilla, his fourth of the spring. Morris, trying to reclaim his place in the Cardinals starting rotation, allowed two runs and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out eight and walked one. "I was in a good rhythm and felt more comfortable as the game went along," Morris said. "I wasn't as concerned about mechanics and was thinking more about the end result. When I have my rhythm my pitches are better, sharper." Morris gave up a solo home run to Charles Johnson in the second. Preston Wilson's RBI double in the sixth scored Florida's other run. "I don't know what happened in the sixth inning," Morris said. "I felt comfortable but maybe I was losing some of my velocity. But overall, it was a positive day's work."  Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories | ALSO SEE Spring report: Jeter will make his return on Thursday | ||||