Pre-Game Notes: Jeter, Kelley, Huff and More

As the New York Yankees look to avoid being swept by the Boston Red Sox, while also trying to gain ground on the teams ahead of them in the Wild Card race, the Yankees are currently dealing with a handful of injury problems.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi spoke with the media prior to Sunday's series finale, that also happens to be the final game of the Yanks' 10-game homestand, with the team embarking on a 10-game road trip starting Monday in Baltimore.

Jeter day to day, not being shut down:

After being removed in the 6th inning of Saturday's 13-9 loss to the Red Sox, the Yankees sent Derek Jeter to the hospital for precautionary CT scans one his surgically repaired left ankle. Good new for the Yankees, the results of the CT scan came back negative.

The Yankees were also planning on sending the CT results to Dr. Anderson, the man who performed Jeter's surgery last October, just to confirm to clean results.

Girardi told to media this morning that Jeter's ankle is still a little sore -- it was believed that he hurt the ankle while fielding a groundball in the top of the 6th inning -- and he plans on giving Jeter a few days off, before re-evaluating him.

When asked if the Yankee had any plans on shutter down for the rest of the season, and Girardi said no, they weren't planning anything.

Although, if there's truly concern over a possible injury in his ankle, I see no reason why he shouldn't be shut down. As Girardi explained, "this is probably his worst [season] ever", so why not just just him the last two games off and not risk him re-hurting the ankle. I'd much rather have him sit out and come back healthy in 2014, then possibly get hurt, especially if the Yanks don't make the playoffs.

Huff staying put in the rotation:

David Huff endured quite the beating by the Red Sox bats Saturday, giving up nine runs on eight huts after striking out the first two batters of the game. Huff didn't make it out of the 4th inning, going only 3.1 before Girardi pulled the plug.

Huff was in the rotation because he had been in pitching very well out of the bullpen for the Yankees, giving up just two runs in his first 16 inning with the team, and Phil Hughes had been having an awful year as a starter fir the Yankees, and finally a move was made.

Girardi said that another move involving Huff won;t be made, and that he plans on keeping Huff on the rotation, meaning that he'll likely be taking the mound again for the Yankees on Thursday when they wrap up a four-game series against the Baltimore Orioles.

I wrote in a blog post yesterday that Girardi should give Huff another shot, consider that he was facing the Boston Red Sox, a team that has put up over 50 runs in their last four games. Putting Hughes back in the rotation is still worse than keeping Huff in it.

Kelley available to pitch, Logan and Robertson aren't:

Shawn Kelley, who has been out for a few days because of triceps inflammation, will be back in action for the Yankees on Sunday, saying before the game that he would be available to pitch once again for Girardi out of the bullpen.

Kelley hasn't pitched for the Yankees since last Sunday against the Orioles, when he gave up a three-run homerun to JJ Hardy to tie the game, as the Bombers would go in to lose 7-3.

In 52 appearances for the Yankees this season, Kelley has posted a 3.96 ERA, while being on of the Yanks better arms out of the bullpen. He's been able to come into game a deliver a big strikeout when needed, but he's been a little shaky on the mound lately.

As for the Yankees other hurting relievers, David Robertson and Boone Logan, the latest on them is that neither one is close to returning to game action. Girardi said that both pitcher are not yet at the point of even throwing.

Logan received some discouraging news after the game on Saturday, when MRI results revealed inflammation in the area of his left elbow, where he's been feeling some discomfort. Logan says that he began feeling problems on the pitch that he gave up a grand slam to Mike Napoli in Friday night's loss.

"He’ll probably be three days off," Girardi said. "And we’ll go from there."

Robertson is still dealing with tendinitis in his right shoulder, and he's been receiving treatment on the shoulder for the past couple of days, and it's unlikely that he'll return to game action within the next couple of days.

Robertson said he was feeling fatigued once he came back to the clubhouse after his appearance Thursday night against Boston -- when he allowed two runs on three hits in just one-third of an inning -- and decided to get it checked out just as a precaution.

"I woke up the next morning (Friday) and it didn't feel right," Robertson said. "It felt like I overused it. I reached back and threw a little extra on some pitches and my shoulder just didn't feel good the next day."

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