Yanks believe good health will lead to good offense

"Let's face it, the key to any order, a lot of times, is the middle of the order and how they produce, and that's where we need to keep those guys healthy and get the production we expect out of them," manager Joe Girardi said.

Complete coverage

There was an internal ripple effect after the Yankees ranked 13th in the 15-team American League in runs scored, their weakest offensive output since 1990. Only the Rays (612) and Astros (629) scored less in the Junior Circuit, lousy company for a Yankees' lineup that was ravaged by injuries and underperformance.

In response to missing the playoffs for a second consecutive year, the Yankees installed Jeff Pentland to replace Kevin Long as hitting coach. They also hired an assistant, Alan Cockrell, as a nod to the growing demands of the position, but Pentland accepted the job with no illusions of grandeur. For the Yankees to win, they must keep their best athletes on the field.

"I'm only a good hitting coach if we have good players," Pentland said. "I'm not a fool thinking I'm better than the players. It takes talent. I can give them a little bit of direction, and a lot of times you stay out of their way. My biggest job is trying to keep the slumps and the bad times to a minimal, and sometimes you don't always have the answers."

The Yankees did not field a .300-hitting regular last season, with Ellsbury's .271 mark leading the team. That was the lowest leading batting average for the team since Roy White hit .267 in 1968, and marked the first time since 2004 (Hideki Matsui, .298) that the Bombers did not have a qualified player over .300.

Teixeira's solo homer

TOR@NYY: Teixeira connects for a solo home run

3/17/15: Mark Teixeira sends a solo home run to left-center field to bring the Yankees within a run

Girardi is hanging his hopes on the belief that Beltran, McCann and Teixeira can all come back with productive seasons, while the Yanks have been encouraged by the life in Rodriguez's body coming off his season-long suspension, suggesting that he can help in a designated hitter role.

They will also be helped by installing Ellsbury and Gardner atop the lineup as table-setters; Ellsbury said he didn't fret with runners in scoring position, but he often seemed miscast as a No. 3 hitter.

"We have the talent in here. There's a lot of teams that would love to have our roster right now," Teixeira said. "It takes talent, it takes health, it takes execution. We have the talent, so it's the health and execution that are the ones we're going to work on this year. I think we all believe in each other here."

There are bullet points for that optimism. In Beltran's case, he has been swinging without pain following surgery to remove a bone spur in his right elbow and said that he is motivated to prove that 2014 was an aberration.

McCann should be more comfortable on both sides of the ball, coming off what he called a "learning experience" year in the AL, and Teixeira has responded to a new gluten-free diet by voicing his old goals of 30 homers and 100 RBIs.

McCann's two-run jack

NYY@ATL: McCann hits a two-run homer to right

3/18/15: Brian McCann hits his first home run of Spring Training, a two-run shot that just clears the right-field wall

"I think we're going to be better than last year, no doubt about it," Beltran said. "What happened to me, Tex was dealing with his wrist still last year, McCann's first year in the league; he'll be more comfortable, second year. I think it's going to be better. There's no reason why it shouldn't be better if the health is there."

The Yankees would sign up for that in a second, but they would accept far less from Teixeira, especially if other pieces like Chase Headley, Didi Gregorius and Stephen Drew can pick up the slack. General manager Brian Cashman said on Sunday that he has enjoyed seeing more production from the bats.

"There's no reason to believe, for instance, Carlos Beltran's not going to hit all of a sudden," Cashman said. "I have seen a lot of Stephen Drew in the last week to 10 days, and it's encouraging. And then Tex, I haven't had any worries about Tex coming back, or even Beltran. Just stay healthy and we'll be fine."

It makes sense on paper, but now we'll see if the Yanks can actually get past 633 -- or bust.

"I think this team has a chance to be really good," Girardi said. "We need to do a better job of staying healthy than we've done the last two years, but I think we have a chance to be really good."

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Eovaldi praised by hometown legend Ryan

"I haven't watched him in person, only on television, but I've followed him ever since he's been in high school," Ryan said. "I really think that the better part of his career is still ahead of him."

Eovaldi put on a good show for the strikeout king, hurling 4 2/3 innings of scoreless, three-hit ball in the Yankees' 7-0 Grapefruit League victory. Eovaldi struck out five and walked none, though he used 89 pitches (60 strikes) to do it and said he would like to be more economical in the future.

Acquired in December by the Yanks, Eovaldi has enjoyed a sharp spring, allowing just one earned run in 13 2/3 innings (0.66 ERA) as he prepares to begin the season as New York's No. 4 starter. Eovaldi seemed happy to hear of Ryan's praise.

"I appreciate it," Eovaldi said. "Just coming from him, it's a reminder to keep working hard and not give in, really."

Eovaldi's five strikeouts

TB@NYY: Eovaldi fans five over three innings

3/9/15: Nathan Eovaldi strikes out five Rays over three innings, allowing just three hits and no runs in a Spring Training outing

Ryan said that he has done his homework on Eovaldi, quizzing former teammate Charlie Hough, who served as one of Eovaldi's Minor League pitching coaches while the right-hander was in the Dodgers' system.

"Charlie really liked him," Ryan said. "You know, there's not many that have come out of Alvin that have played professional baseball. It's kind of neat to see him and follow his career."

Ryan and Eovaldi didn't cross paths on Sunday, as Eovaldi headed to the clubhouse after being removed from the game, but they have made prior contact. Two years ago, when Eovaldi was with the Marlins, he said that he received an unexpected surprise in the mail.

"He sent me a ball and said, 'Congratulations,'" Eovaldi said. "He signed a baseball and sent it to me; it said, 'Go Jackets,' -- that was our Alvin high school team -- and 'Congratulations on your career, keep going.'"

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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A-Rod makes debut at first in Yanks' victory

"It was fun," Rodriguez said. "It was quite interesting after 20 years in the league to see the game from a totally different lens. It was pretty cool."

Yankees manager Joe Girardi was encouraged by Rodriguez's cameo at first, saying that he could envision a scenario in which Rodriguez is asked to handle the position in the regular season.

"The toughest things are when you get into cuts, relays, and bunts, and we didn't get into any of that today," Girardi said. "Fielding ground balls, I'm not worried about that. Really, I'm not. Catching the ball, I'm not worried about that. I'd think he'd be pretty good around the bag, even scooping, because you get a lot of those hot shots at first base."

Rodriguez, who singled and walked in two plate appearances to raise his spring average to .324, would likely be used as a third line of defense behind Mark Teixeira and Garrett Jones. In that event, he said that he would try to summon the glovework of an old favorite from the 1980s.

"I came up watching and admiring Keith Hernandez," Rodriguez said. "I'll try to emulate one of my heroes growing up."

Rodriguez has been taking a first-base crash course on the back diamonds of the Yankees' complex for weeks, including a longer workout on Saturday with infield coach Joe Espada, but handling chances at game speed represented a large step forward.

Moving to his right on Evan Gattis' second-inning grounder, Rodriguez briefly bobbled the ball in his glove before tossing it to pitcher Nathan Eovaldi covering first for the putout. Rodriguez said that being right-handed made it a "very uncomfortable" play.

"I don't know if it was easy; I'm just glad we got a guy out," Rodriguez said. "I've never made that play. I felt like a quarterback hitting my tight end on the run. I've never done that before, I don't think."

Eovaldi said that Rodriguez's range and feed were fine.

"He got to it pretty quick and I was still trying to find the bag, so I had time to find the bag and get the out," Eovaldi said.

Rodriguez also handled throws from third baseman Chase Headley and second baseman Stephen Drew without incident. He reiterated his spring mantra of being willing to do whatever Girardi and the Yankees ask.

"I think the most inconvenient part is just getting used to the glove," Rodriguez said. "That will take a little getting used to. Everything else is baseball."

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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A-Rod makes debut at first in Yanks' victory

"It was fun," Rodriguez said. "It was quite interesting after 20 years in the league to see the game from a totally different lens. It was pretty cool."

Yankees manager Joe Girardi was encouraged by Rodriguez's cameo at first, saying that he could envision a scenario in which Rodriguez is asked to handle the position in the regular season.

"The toughest things are when you get into cuts, relays, and bunts, and we didn't get into any of that today," Girardi said. "Fielding ground balls, I'm not worried about that. Really, I'm not. Catching the ball, I'm not worried about that. I'd think he'd be pretty good around the bag, even scooping, because you get a lot of those hot shots at first base."

Rodriguez, who singled and walked in two plate appearances to raise his spring average to .324, would likely be used as a third line of defense behind Mark Teixeira and Garrett Jones. In that event, he said that he would try to summon the glovework of an old favorite from the 1980s.

"I came up watching and admiring Keith Hernandez," Rodriguez said. "I'll try to emulate one of my heroes growing up."

Rodriguez has been taking a first-base crash course on the back diamonds of the Yankees' complex for weeks, including a longer workout on Saturday with infield coach Joe Espada, but handling chances at game speed represented a large step forward.

Moving to his right on Evan Gattis' second-inning grounder, Rodriguez briefly bobbled the ball in his glove before tossing it to pitcher Nathan Eovaldi covering first for the putout. Rodriguez said that being right-handed made it a "very uncomfortable" play.

"I don't know if it was easy; I'm just glad we got a guy out," Rodriguez said. "I've never made that play. I felt like a quarterback hitting my tight end on the run. I've never done that before, I don't think."

Eovaldi said that Rodriguez's range and feed were fine.

"He got to it pretty quick and I was still trying to find the bag, so I had time to find the bag and get the out," Eovaldi said.

Rodriguez also handled throws from third baseman Chase Headley and second baseman Stephen Drew without incident. He reiterated his spring mantra of being willing to do whatever Girardi and the Yankees ask.

"I think the most inconvenient part is just getting used to the glove," Rodriguez said. "That will take a little getting used to. Everything else is baseball."

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Eovaldi praised by hometown legend Ryan

"I haven't watched him in person, only on television, but I've followed him ever since he's been in high school," Ryan said. "I really think that the better part of his career is still ahead of him."

Eovaldi put on a good show for the strikeout king, hurling 4 2/3 innings of scoreless, three-hit ball in the Yankees' 7-0 Grapefruit League victory. Eovaldi struck out five and walked none, though he used 89 pitches (60 strikes) to do it and said he would like to be more economical in the future.

Acquired in December by the Yanks, Eovaldi has enjoyed a sharp spring, allowing just one earned run in 13 2/3 innings (0.66 ERA) as he prepares to begin the season as New York's No. 4 starter. Eovaldi seemed happy to hear of Ryan's praise.

"I appreciate it," Eovaldi said. "Just coming from him, it's a reminder to keep working hard and not give in, really."

Eovaldi's five strikeouts

TB@NYY: Eovaldi fans five over three innings

3/9/15: Nathan Eovaldi strikes out five Rays over three innings, allowing just three hits and no runs in a Spring Training outing

Ryan said that he has done his homework on Eovaldi, quizzing former teammate Charlie Hough, who served as one of Eovaldi's Minor League pitching coaches while the right-hander was in the Dodgers' system.

"Charlie really liked him," Ryan said. "You know, there's not many that have come out of Alvin that have played professional baseball. It's kind of neat to see him and follow his career."

Ryan and Eovaldi didn't cross paths on Sunday, as Eovaldi headed to the clubhouse after being removed from the game, but they have made prior contact. Two years ago, when Eovaldi was with the Marlins, he said that he received an unexpected surprise in the mail.

"He sent me a ball and said, 'Congratulations,'" Eovaldi said. "He signed a baseball and sent it to me; it said, 'Go Jackets,' -- that was our Alvin high school team -- and 'Congratulations on your career, keep going.'"

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Yanks believe good health will lead to good offense

"Let's face it, the key to any order, a lot of times, is the middle of the order and how they produce, and that's where we need to keep those guys healthy and get the production we expect out of them," manager Joe Girardi said.

Complete coverage

There was an internal ripple effect after the Yankees ranked 13th in the 15-team American League in runs scored, their weakest offensive output since 1990. Only the Rays (612) and Astros (629) scored less in the Junior Circuit, lousy company for a Yankees' lineup that was ravaged by injuries and underperformance.

In response to missing the playoffs for a second consecutive year, the Yankees installed Jeff Pentland to replace Kevin Long as hitting coach. They also hired an assistant, Alan Cockrell, as a nod to the growing demands of the position, but Pentland accepted the job with no illusions of grandeur. For the Yankees to win, they must keep their best athletes on the field.

"I'm only a good hitting coach if we have good players," Pentland said. "I'm not a fool thinking I'm better than the players. It takes talent. I can give them a little bit of direction, and a lot of times you stay out of their way. My biggest job is trying to keep the slumps and the bad times to a minimal, and sometimes you don't always have the answers."

The Yankees did not field a .300-hitting regular last season, with Ellsbury's .271 mark leading the team. That was the lowest leading batting average for the team since Roy White hit .267 in 1968, and marked the first time since 2004 (Hideki Matsui, .298) that the Bombers did not have a qualified player over .300.

Teixeira's solo homer

TOR@NYY: Teixeira connects for a solo home run

3/17/15: Mark Teixeira sends a solo home run to left-center field to bring the Yankees within a run

Girardi is hanging his hopes on the belief that Beltran, McCann and Teixeira can all come back with productive seasons, while the Yanks have been encouraged by the life in Rodriguez's body coming off his season-long suspension, suggesting that he can help in a designated hitter role.

They will also be helped by installing Ellsbury and Gardner atop the lineup as table-setters; Ellsbury said he didn't fret with runners in scoring position, but he often seemed miscast as a No. 3 hitter.

"We have the talent in here. There's a lot of teams that would love to have our roster right now," Teixeira said. "It takes talent, it takes health, it takes execution. We have the talent, so it's the health and execution that are the ones we're going to work on this year. I think we all believe in each other here."

There are bullet points for that optimism. In Beltran's case, he has been swinging without pain following surgery to remove a bone spur in his right elbow and said that he is motivated to prove that 2014 was an aberration.

McCann should be more comfortable on both sides of the ball, coming off what he called a "learning experience" year in the AL, and Teixeira has responded to a new gluten-free diet by voicing his old goals of 30 homers and 100 RBIs.

McCann's two-run jack

NYY@ATL: McCann hits a two-run homer to right

3/18/15: Brian McCann hits his first home run of Spring Training, a two-run shot that just clears the right-field wall

"I think we're going to be better than last year, no doubt about it," Beltran said. "What happened to me, Tex was dealing with his wrist still last year, McCann's first year in the league; he'll be more comfortable, second year. I think it's going to be better. There's no reason why it shouldn't be better if the health is there."

The Yankees would sign up for that in a second, but they would accept far less from Teixeira, especially if other pieces like Chase Headley, Didi Gregorius and Stephen Drew can pick up the slack. General manager Brian Cashman said on Sunday that he has enjoyed seeing more production from the bats.

"There's no reason to believe, for instance, Carlos Beltran's not going to hit all of a sudden," Cashman said. "I have seen a lot of Stephen Drew in the last week to 10 days, and it's encouraging. And then Tex, I haven't had any worries about Tex coming back, or even Beltran. Just stay healthy and we'll be fine."

It makes sense on paper, but now we'll see if the Yanks can actually get past 633 -- or bust.

"I think this team has a chance to be really good," Girardi said. "We need to do a better job of staying healthy than we've done the last two years, but I think we have a chance to be really good."

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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A-Rod adds third homer to consistent spring

TAMPA, Fla. -- When Alex Rodriguez hit his first home run of the spring, he remarked that it had been so long, he had forgotten what it was supposed to feel like. This time, when ball met barrel, he knew exactly what was happening.

Rodriguez slugged his third Grapefruit League homer Saturday, a solo shot to left-center off Orioles left-hander Brian Matusz, in the seventh inning of Baltimore's 10-2 victory at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

"That one felt good," Rodriguez said. "I was excited about that one."

The Yankees have been pleased by the amount of life in Rodriguez's swings this spring. He is batting .306 (11-for-36) with a double and four RBIs in 15 spring contests.

"Numbers mean nothing, but you definitely want to pass the eye test," Rodriguez said. "That means moving around better, putting balls in play, and hitting balls in the mid-90s. Those are things I haven't done in over a year and a half, so everything for me this year -- this spring, at least -- is a test."

"He's been pretty consistent," manager Joe Girardi said. "A home run today -- I think his at-bats have been really good."

Sunday will mark another significant checkpoint as Rodriguez returns from his season-long suspension. Not only is he playing in a third straight game for the first time, but he will be doing so as the Yankees' first baseman in a 1:05 p.m. ET contest against the Astros in Kissimmee.

Though he'll likely get most of his at-bats as a designated hitter this year, the Yankees would like to see if Rodriguez can be a serviceable backup first baseman behind Mark Teixeira and Garrett Jones.

Earlier Saturday, Rodriguez strapped on a first baseman's glove and worked out on a back field with infield coach Joe Espada to prepare for the assignment.

"I went out there with Joe and caught a lot of ground balls, turned some double plays," Rodriguez said. "I'm excited. It should be fun."

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Betances has more to fix in Spring Training

TAMPA, Fla. -- Dellin Betances would hate to get on the plane without another clean inning under his belt, so this is going to be an important week for the Yankees right-hander to iron out the wrinkles.

Betances was touched for a run in the sixth inning of the Yanks' 10-2 Grapefruit League loss to the Orioles on Saturday. In seven appearances, the All-Star has permitted five earned runs and is sporting a 7.11 ERA.

"At the end of the day, you've got to try to prepare yourself," Betances said. "But I guess it's better to happen now in Spring Training where I can fix it before we leave and head up north. I'd rather it happen now than in season, when it's a little tougher there when the games count more."

The Yankees have not named a closer, and manager Joe Girardi has said he does not necessarily have to make a choice between Betances and Andrew Miller, who owns a 2.84 ERA in 6 1/3 spring innings. It remains possible they could serve as flexible co-closers to open the season.

In Saturday's outing, Betances fell behind the leadoff hitter, Steve Clevenger, who singled to right field. Ryan Flaherty followed by working a walk and Betances got Jonathan Schoop to bounce into a fielder's choice, but Alejandro De Aza lifted a sacrifice fly that brought home the Orioles' seventh run of the day.

Betances said he has been working with pitching coach Larry Rothschild on shortening his leg kick and not flying open. He will get another chance to figure things out Sunday, when Betances has been scheduled to pitch in a Minor League game.

"It's not like I'm missing as bad as I once was," Betances said. "I'm around the zone. I felt way better even before I came in. I felt like my direction was better, something I'll try to work on more. As that gets better, I think I'll be able to throw more strikes and put guys away."

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Minor Leaguers pounce on Sabathia's pitches

TAMPA, Fla. -- It was CC Sabathia's request to pitch in a Minor League game Saturday, not wanting to provide a sneak peek to a division rival while the Yankees hosted the Orioles over at George M. Steinbrenner Field. He may have been regretting that call after one pitch.

It's often said that Minor League hitters swing early and often, and Sabathia barked when his first pitch was slugged over the wall by Alen Hanson, an infielder with the Pirates' Triple-A squad. Sabathia served up two homers in a five-inning outing that he said was productive.

"It's part of the game. You've got to keep going," Sabathia said. "You don't want to give up runs. I think there should be a rule against swinging at the first pitch of the game. That's my take. That's what I was thinking, anyway."

Sabathia permitted four runs and five hits in the 69-pitch outing at the Himes Avenue Minor League complex, walking two and striking out seven. The first homer came on a 91 mph fastball; the second came on a changeup to Elias Diaz with two outs in the third inning.

"All the way around, I thought it was really good," catcher Brian McCann said. "When you go over there, you're not pitching to scouting reports. You get guys set up, and then you think you can get something in there, and they hit it. But all in all, I thought his changeup was really good, the fastball to both sides of the plate, and the slider was great today."

YES updates on CC

BAL@NYY: YES gives up update on CC's progress

3/28/15: YES gives an update on how CC Sabathia is progressing so far in Spring Training

Sabathia bristled when asked how much stock should be put into his spring numbers. Saturday's stats are not included because it was a Minor League game, but in Grapefruit League competition, Sabathia owns an 11.57 ERA (six earned runs in 4 2/3 innings).

"It is what it is," Sabathia said. "I've had Spring Trainings where I've given up a lot of runs and went out and had a good season. I've had Spring Trainings like last year where I didn't give up any runs and I gave up [six] in the first game. Y'all can put stock in whatever you want. I'm not really worried about it."

The Yankees kept Sabathia on a limited program this spring as he returns from arthroscopic right knee surgery, making it an easy call for Girardi to snap Sabathia's string of six straight Opening Day starts as a Yankee.

Masahiro Tanaka will get that nod instead, with Sabathia not set to pitch until April 9 vs. Toronto. Sabathia said he is looking forward to soaking in the season-opening festivities.

"I'm excited for him. I think it'll be a good deal," Sabathia said. "I know he's excited to get a chance to do that. I'm excited to get a chance to be able to enjoy Opening Day. It should be fun."

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Drew goes 3-for-3, shows signs of heating up

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- The Yankees are hoping that a more normal Spring Training will allow Stephen Drew to return to the form he showed two seasons ago, and that belief was not shaken by the veteran infielder's slow start at the plate.

Entering Friday afternoon batting just .167 (6-for-36) in his first spring with the Yanks, Drew showed signs of busting out in New York's 10-0, rain-shortened Grapefruit League win over the Phillies, going 3-for-3 with a double, a run scored and two RBIs.

"He's swung the bat better the last two weeks," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "The one thing you want is you want a lineup that there's pressure on the pitcher of the opposing team the entire time, and I feel that we have that type of lineup that we can do that, where so much pressure doesn't fall on a couple of guys. It's nice to see everyone swinging."

Drew doubled to right field in the second inning and singled to center field in the fourth facing Aaron Nola, then slapped a two-run single to left off Jake Diekman as part of the Yanks' seven-run fifth inning.

The Yankees have guaranteed Drew a spot as the Opening Day second baseman, recently stating that they came into camp with 12 of 13 position player spots locked down, with only the backup catcher's role left unsettled.

That indicated that Jose Pirela and Rob Refsnyder would begin the year at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, and Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said that Drew's first at-bats of the spring never gave him a reason to second-guess that.

"I think he's actually swinging the bat better in the last week, just like a lot of our veterans are," Cashman said. "The veterans are the ones who are the hardest to judge in the spring, because they're not competing for anything. They're just competing to get their timing and their bodies in position for a long season.

"They're not approaching the games like it's a 'win' situation. But as we're getting closer, you're starting to see those guys that we're running out there every day, you're starting to see more life, more production, and less things to worry about."

Girardi said that he has been encouraged by how the double-play combination of Drew and Didi Gregorius has looked on both sides of the ball. Gregorius did not play in Friday's game, but he has nine hits in his last 20 at-bats.

"I feel really good about what they've done," Girardi said. "I think they've made progress all spring long. They've worked well together defensively, so I do feel good about it."

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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A-Rod makes first 180-foot dashes of spring

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- As Alex Rodriguez checks the boxes off his mental to-do list this spring, he was waiting for an opportunity to make the pair of 180-foot dashes from first to third and second to home. Both were knocked out on a busy Friday afternoon.

Rodriguez went from first to third on Stephen Drew's second-inning double, then scored from second base on Chris Young's two-run single in the fifth. For good measure, Rodriguez even tried to score on a fly ball to right field, a play that ended with him being tagged out.

"I know it didn't look good, but it felt good," Rodriguez said.

Francoeur's double play

NYY@PHI: Francoeur makes catch, nabs A-Rod at home

3/27/15: Jeff Francoeur catches Chris Young's fly ball and throws out a tagging Alex Rodriguez at home by a wide margin

Rodriguez has mostly been running station-to-station on the basepaths this spring, and he has joked about a lack of foot speed coming off two significant hip surgeries. He has been working on those stopwatch times with strength-and-conditioning coach Matt Krause.

"If I can just keep making small strides every day, I'll take that," Rodriguez said.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi offered a positive review of Rodriguez's in-game running on Friday, and said that he was not worried during the game, because those are the types of things Rodriguez will have to do in the regular season.

"Probably more than [Rodriguez] wanted to see, but I thought he was moving pretty good. I really did," Girardi said.

On the play at the plate, Rodriguez tagged up at third base on Young's fly ball to medium-depth-right field. Jeff Francoeur's strong throw arrived in time to nab Rodriguez.

"It was a pretty good throw, but you're going to take that chance with that being the second out," Girardi said. "Maybe if it's the first out, you don't take it. But you're going to take that chance, and Francoeur's always been a good thrower."

Seeing the ball arrive before him, Rodriguez slowed up rather than slide or crash into catcher Cameron Rupp.

"I told him my next at-bat, I would've been really hurting," Rodriguez said. "I would have had the short end of that stick."

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Drew, Yanks' bats erupt behind solid Pineda

Every hitter in the Yankees' starting lineup had at least one hit before the end of the fifth inning.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

• Right-handed prospect Aaron Nola, whom the Phillies selected with the seventh overall pick in the 2014 First-Year Player Draft, pitched three scoreless innings in his Grapefruit League debut. He allowed five hits and struck out four. Nola has been in Minor League camp, but the Phillies wanted to give him the experience before they head north next week.

• Yankees starter Michael Pineda tossed five scoreless innings, giving up five hits and striking out five with no walks. The right-hander threw 62 pitches and lowered his spring ERA to 1.32 in his fourth start.

Pineda's scoreless outing

NYY@PHI: Pineda fans five over five scoreless frames

3/27/15: Michael Pineda strikes out five batters and scatters five hits over five scoreless innings against the Phillies

• Alex Rodriguez had not been given an opportunity to run from first to third or second to home this spring, a point that Joe Girardi made on Friday morning. Sure enough, Rodriguez had the opportunity to do both, chugging from first to third on Drew's second-inning double and scoring from second base on Chris Young's two-run double in the fifth.

• Rodriguez to play first on Sunday

• Jeff Francoeur threw out Rodriguez at the plate to end the second inning. Francoeur is competing for a bench job, and he has a good chance because he hits right-handed, has power and has a good arm.

• Drew came into the afternoon batting just .167 (6-for-36), but the Yankees have been unconcerned because he is working on mechanical adjustments. Those may be working out, as evidenced by his three-hit performance. Drew is locked in as the Yankees' Opening Day second baseman, with Jose Pirela and Rob Refsnyder expected to begin the season in the Minors.

Drew's two-run single

NYY@PHI: Drew swats a two-run single in the 5th

3/27/15: Stephen Drew pokes a base hit to left field and drives in two runs to give the Yankees a 5-0 lead in the 5th inning

WHAT'S NEXT

The Phillies make the long drive south to Fort Myers, Fla., to play the Twins on Saturday afternoon at 1:05 p.m. ET. Right-hander Jerome Williams will start. He is expected to be the team's No. 3 starter this season. Also scheduled to pitch are Rule 5 Draft pick Andy Oliver and Phillippe Aumont. They are competing for bullpen jobs, although Oliver is a favorite for one of them.

The Yankees will host the Orioles on Saturday afternoon at 1:05 p.m. ET, sending Scott Baker to the mound for his fourth appearance (second start) of the spring. CC Sabathia was originally slated to start, but he'll take the hill in a Minor League game instead, because the Yankees didn't want him to face the Orioles this close to the regular season. Baker will be opposed by Baltimore right-hander Tyler Wilson in a contest that will be broadcast on YES and WFAN.

Todd Zolecki is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his Phillies blog The Zo Zone. Follow him on Twitter. Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Steinbrenner confident in Yankees' chances

"We have a good group of veterans and a good group of young kids, some of which you'll see a lot of this year and next year," Steinbrenner said on WFAN. "Winning is going to solve a lot of problems. I believe in balance. We finally have that balance of veterans and kids to step in."

Steinbrenner mentioned young prospects Greg Bird, Aaron Judge, Rob Refsnyder and Luis Severino by name, saying that he considers one or two of those players to be Major League-ready right now.

It is possible, Steinbrenner said, that all four players could see time in The Bronx this season as the Yankees attempt to end their two-year playoff drought. He also said that he understands the expectation that the Yankees will field a team that features recognizable stars.

"We have to win," Steinbrenner told ESPN. "New York expects a winner and so do we. We certainly have marquee players on the team. You're not always going to have a Reggie Jackson like '77. It's important - New York is a star town."

There will be plenty of attention on Alex Rodriguez, who has re-assimilated with the club following a historic drug suspension.

"We haven't even started the season yet," Steinbrenner told WFAN. "As I told him -- I'm not worried about the future right now. I'm worried about another week and a half of Spring Training and then April 6 and then we'll go from there."

Rodriguez has convinced Yankees officials that he could serve as an everyday designated hitter, and Steinbrenner told WFAN that "there are no wounds on my end" with the 39-year-old slugger.

"I think he's done a great job," Steinbrenner said. "He's been positive, he's been out here working hard, he's playing well, and he's been great with the fans and giving back to fans and signing autographs and spending time with them.

"It's gone great. Look, our whole goal, as I told him when we met a month or so ago, he's got to get through Spring Training healthy and then he'll be able to contribute to the club."

Steinbrenner said that it was difficult to swallow two Grapefruit League losses to the Mets this spring, but he understands the games do not count in the standings. It has been suggested that George M. Steinbrenner would have reacted differently, and Steinbrenner said that he is not bothered by those inevitable comparisons.

"My dad was great," Steinbrenner told WFAN. "But as I've said from day one, my dad and I are similar in some ways, we are different in some ways. We just have different personalities. People see me as not passionate; that's certainly not the case. I may hide it a little bit better, try to control it a little bit better."

Steinbrenner also strongly reiterated to both outlets that his family is not interested in selling the team.

"I love my '67 Firebird, but how many can I buy?" Steinbrenner told ESPN. "It's not us. No, it's not enticing in any way, shape or form. It's a family business. Many of us are involved from the family and we know this is what our dad would want, to carry on the tradition. We're not going anywhere."

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Warren works to further cement status as fifth starter

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- Adam Warren may not be thrilled with his new nickname of "Secretariat," playing off a comment offered this week by Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, but he is certainly happy with what it represents.

Cashman likened Warren to the legendary racehorse in evaluating the Yankees' fifth starter competition, and though the right-hander is in no danger of a photo finish, he said that any celebration would be premature before it is officially announced by the club.

"Like I've been saying, I'm just trying to get ready for the season," Warren said. "I really haven't been told anything face-to-face, so it's kind of hard to comment on that. I feel like I've pitched well and I'm happy about that. I feel like I'm getting ready to go into the season. I'm right where I want to be."

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said that he will speak with his coaches about the fifth starter decision soon, but judging by Cashman's comments, it has already been made and could be announced later this week. Esmil Rogers, Chase Whitley, Bryan Mitchell and Scott Baker were competing with Warren for the rotation spot.

"I would think we'd make it pretty soon," Girardi said. "We'll sit down and talk about it when we get a home game."

Warren hurled 3 2/3 innings of one-run ball in Thursday's 6-5 loss to the Rays at Charlotte Sports Park, scattering four hits while walking one and striking out five. His lone blemish was Evan Longoria's second-inning homer, and Warren was pleased by his ability to get outs on a day when he didn't feel particularly sharp.

"Those outings, you learn a lot about yourself as far as going out there and battling," Warren said. "Especially to have one of those in the spring, where you can see how you do without your best stuff, is big for me just to know I can battle through it."

Warren made 69 relief appearances last season for the Yanks, posting a 2.97 ERA with three saves and a 3-6 record. Girardi said that Warren's transition back to the rotation would be helped by the fact that he continued to throw four pitches as a reliever, a rarity.

"I haven't really thought about it that much. I feel like pitching is pitching," Warren said. "I've proved I can pitch at this level. I've just got to go out there and learn from some of the guys who have started and learn the mindset of being aggressive, attacking always, getting early outs. But I feel like I've got the stuff. It's just going out there and executing pitches."

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Yankees tab Tanaka for Opening Day start

"I'm honored, obviously," Tanaka said through an interpreter. "I spoke with Joe earlier today and he told me officially. Now that I know when I'm pitching for the season, my job is to get ready for that day."

Tanaka's final spring outing is slated to see him toss about 75 pitches on Tuesday against the Twins in Fort Myers, Fla., providing him with five days of rest before the Yankees open the regular season in The Bronx. Tanaka will likely be capped close to 90 pitches on Opening Day.

"We feel that's the way it works the best," Girardi said. "You feel that gives everyone a chance to be pretty ready. Tanaka will be on a little bit of a pitch count the first time; not so much the second and third time. We think it's an opportune time for him. It's a spot where you go on six days [rest] a little bit more, that sort of thing."

Sabathia has made 11 career Opening Day starts, but because he is coming off right knee surgery, he has said that his focus is to be ready for the regular season. He is the fifth pitcher in Yankees history to make at least six Opening Day starts for the club, joining Whitey Ford (seven), Ron Guidry (seven), Mel Stottlemyre (seven) and Lefty Gomez (six).

"If CC wouldn't have had the problem and pitched all 30 starts, it probably would have been a non-issue who was going to go No. 1, but it didn't happen that way," Girardi said. "We had to make sure people were ready. I know it's a big deal, and it might be somewhat of a deal to them, but when CC looks back, he's going to worry about Octobers."

Tanaka has said that he has started on Opening Day only once previously, in 2012 for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. He did not start his team's opener in '13, because he was participating in the World Baseball Classic.

His Major League debut also came against the Blue Jays, but that outing was at Rogers Centre in Toronto. In that outing, Tanaka earned the win, holding the Jays to three runs (two earned) and six hits over seven innings, walking none and striking out eight.

"I think the biggest difference is that I'll be pitching at home this season," Tanaka said. "Actually, I'm really happy about that. Last year obviously was over in Toronto and away, being away from home. Definitely, being able to pitch at home this season, I'm really happy about that."

Tanaka was reminded that the first batter he faced in that game, Melky Cabrera -- now with the White Sox -- homered off him. Tanaka laughed and said that he will hope for a different opening act to his campaign this year.

"He's gone, so I wouldn't have that sort of negative image from last year," Tanaka said. "Yes, obviously I'd like to have a different outcome for the first batter this season."

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Frustrated Betances vows to finish spring strong

TAMPA, Fla. -- The home run that Dellin Betances served up on Wednesday came on a hanging curve, so any chatter about radar-gun readings is irrelevant there. Yet with less than two weeks before Opening Day, the Yankees right-hander is running out of time to finish his spring on a strong note.

"I'm obviously frustrated," Betances said. "I mean, it's been four outings where every time out, I've given up a run. Today I felt better, but you've got to make a better pitch than that to [Juan] Lagares. It's frustrating, but I'm sure I've got four more outings left and I'll do whatever I can to be better for the season."

Pitching in back-to-back games for the first time this year, Betances relieved Masahiro Tanaka and served up Lagares' second Grapefruit League homer before getting Ruben Tejada to pop out.

Betances owns a 6.75 ERA in six spring appearances, having allowed seven hits over 5 1/3 innings, and the subject of his velocity will probably continue to raise questions until answered convincingly.

"I think he set a pretty high standard last year that's not always so easy to live up to," manager Joe Girardi said. "My only concern is that he's right at the end of Spring Training."

Betances' fastball was clocked at 89-90 mph in Wednesday's brief appearance, which came after the discussion that had prompted Girardi to inspect last year's spring radar readings.

"I get asked so much about it. He's actually throwing harder than he did last year," Girardi said. "It was the last week [of spring 2014] that it kind of jumped up."

Earlier on Wednesday, general manager Brian Cashman said that Justin Wilson hit 97 mph on Tuesday against the Braves, but he said that Betances, Andrew Miller and David Carpenter have been sitting at 93-94 mph for most of the spring.

"Our power arms have been a little lower than where they typically are, and the easy commentary behind that kind of stuff is that the relievers are still building their arm strength," Cashman said. "Since it's a whole group situation, I don't worry about it."

Radar-gun readings aside, Betances wonders if having had so much exposure during last year's All-Star campaign might be working to his disadvantage here in the Grapefruit League.

"A lot of these guys know who I am now," Betances said. "Last year, there was a lot of unknown, but right now, I need to get those few more veils and maybe attack the zone better. But today, I thought it was good, I just made a mistake to Lagares."

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Tanaka working on improving two-seamer

"The reason for the 88, 89, 90 [mph] is that I'm throwing two-seamers," Tanaka said through an interpreter. "The reason I'm not throwing [four-seamers] much is that a lot of the four-seamers were being hit last year during the regular season. So I'm doing this on purpose. I'm working on the two-seamers purposely."

Speaking after he hurled 4 2/3 innings in the Yankees' 7-2 loss to the Mets, Tanaka clarified that this does not mean he is shelving the four-seam fastball completely. He just may use it less often, instead relying on a repertoire that also includes a splitter, slider, cutter, curveball and changeup.

"I think there's room for both of them," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "Four-seam, you're going to see more velocity; it might be something you climb the ladder with, do some different things. But sometimes you get quick outs with sinkers and there's more movement. He's just trying to improve his game."

"It's not going to hurt him to have another type of fastball in the mix," pitching coach Larry Rothschild said. "With his location, it can be an effective pitch."

Last season, Tanaka threw 426 four-seam fastballs (21.34%) at an average velocity of 92.74 mph, according to BrooksBaseball.net. He threw 389 two-seamers (19.49%), with an average velocity of 91.44 mph. In his two September starts after the injury, Tanaka threw mostly splitters and two-seamers.

Facing the Mets in his second-to-last spring start, Tanaka struck out seven, scattered four hits -- including a solo homer by John Mayberry Jr. -- and allowed three runs (two earned), throwing 47 of 59 pitches for strikes. Tanaka said he is not holding anything back.

Tanaka K's seven Mets

NYM@NYY: Tanaka strikes out seven batters vs. Mets

3/25/15: Masahiro Tanaka fans seven batters, scatters four hits and allows three runs, two earned, over 4 2/3 innings against the Mets

"I'm not worried about where I'm at right now," Tanaka said. "I'm not a pitcher that would throw 95 mph every single pitch. I may get that maybe once or twice in a game. Given that, I'm OK with where my velocity is at right now."

Girardi said that Tanaka will likely be ready to throw 75 pitches in his next outing, which would set him up to throw about 90 in his first start of the regular season. That will probably come on Opening Day against the Blue Jays on April 6, but the Yanks have not officially announced that.

"He's healthy, that's the biggest thing," Rothschild said. "I think he's paced himself a little bit as far as really turning the ball loose. ... He knew what he was doing and the purpose that he had behind it."

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Ellsbury swings bat, optimistic for opener

TAMPA, Fla. -- Jacoby Ellsbury said that he is excited to pick up a bat for tee work and soft toss on Thursday, which he believes will be a good test as he attempts to be ready for the Yankees' Opening Day lineup.

Ellsbury has not played in a game since March 15 due to a right oblique strain that the Yankees have characterized as "extremely mild." Manager Joe Girardi has said that as long as Ellsbury can play in a game by March 31, he is unconcerned about the season opener on April 6.

"I can still get in quite a few games, and that would be great," Ellsbury said. "Today is a nice little step in the right direction in the sense of swinging. I feel pretty confident that I'll definitely be in the Opening Day lineup."

Ellsbury has been running sprints, playing catch and swinging a broomstick in recent days. He said that attempting more explosive activities will provide a better indication of how the oblique has progressed, and he is following the advice of the Yanks' training staff.

"I guess the biggest thing is, I haven't had it before, so I'm basically going off their instructions," Ellsbury said. "These are the steps that worked in the past for guys, so this is the progression we want you to take. I'm just listening to them and I know they're doing a very good job."

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Betances not concerned with low velocity

TAMPA, Fla. -- Dellin Betances believes that his arm strength will continue to build the more he is used out of the bullpen, and so the Yankees right-hander isn't concerned about radar-gun readings at this stage of the spring.

Betances maxed out at 94 mph with his fastball on Tuesday, according to the YES Network radar gun, as he allowed a run in the fifth inning of New York's 9-8 victory over the Tigers. He regularly sat a few mph faster last year as an All-Star setup man.

"I've got to just trust whatever I have right now," Betances said. "I know that the velocity will come. Same thing last year in Spring Training; last year I just trusted it and this year I'm trying to do a little extra with whatever I have instead of just trusting it."

Betances has only five Grapefruit League innings under his belt this spring, sporting a 5.40 ERA after permitting three runs and six hits. Because of that, manager Joe Girardi said that he is not troubled by Betances' lower velocity.

"There's not concern for me now," Girardi said. "If it was to go on for a long time, you'd be concerned, but he wasn't throwing 97, 98 in Spring Training at this time last year. He wasn't. Power pitchers usually take a little bit longer to get going."

Girardi said that Betances should get close to 12 innings by the end of the spring. He did pitch a two-inning simulated game last week at the Yanks' complex and is scheduled to face one or two more batters in Wednesday's game against the Mets.

"I've just got to pitch more," Betances said. "The more I pitch, the better I'll feel. That's always been my thing. Ever since I moved to the bullpen, the more I get to pitch, the better I feel with all my pitches. I'm glad I'm back out there tomorrow. We'll see how it goes."

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Rogers endures tough outing against Tigers

TAMPA, Fla. -- Esmil Rogers spoke in hushed tones and fixed his gaze toward the clubhouse carpet after his outing on Tuesday night against the Tigers. The Yankees won't say it publicly, but the right-hander seems to sense that his chances of breaking camp as a starter have absorbed a serious blow.

The afternoon started with manager Joe Girardi challenging Rogers, calling it "a pretty big start" for him as he tries to ward off Adam Warren for the fifth spot in New York's rotation. The evening ended with five runs on the board over three innings in what wrapped as a 9-8 Yankees victory over the Tigers.

"Not great. It was one of those bad days when everything didn't work," said Rogers, who permitted five hits, two walks and struck out two in a 65-pitch effort. "I'll just come in tomorrow, work out and see what I can do to see the video."

Rogers permitted three hits in the first inning, including a Yoenis Cespedes RBI single, and hurt himself by bobbling a routine Jose Iglesias infield chopper in the second. Rogers said that he paid too much attention to the runner and closed his glove early.

That opened the door for Ian Kinsler's two-run single and a two-run J.D. Martinez double, and though only one of the five runs was earned, it was not the kind of outing Rogers needed to keep pace. Rogers owns a rather misleading 2.92 ERA in 12 1/3 spring innings, compared to Warren's 2.77 ERA over 13 innings.

"The stuff is better than the way he's pitched these last two outings, I think," Girardi said. "We'll try to get it right."

Girardi on Rogers' outing

DET@NYY: Girardi on the pitching rotation for Yankees

3/24/15: Joe Girardi discusses Esmil Rogers' outing, the starting pitching rotation for the Yankees and choosing the starters for 2015

The Yankees have liked the 29-year-old Rogers' live arm for some time, but pitching coach Larry Rothschild may continue tweaking him in a relief role. Girardi said that he is not prepared to make any announcements in the No. 5 race, which has also been said to include Chase Whitley, Bryan Mitchell and non-roster invitee Scott Baker.

"It's something that we have to talk about," Girardi said. "I'm sure over the next week or so we'll talk a lot about what we're going to do here. I think you have to make a decision by the end of the week so the guy that's not a starter can get to the 'pen and get some work there."

Rogers, who was 2-0 with a 4.68 ERA in 19 appearances (one start) for the Yanks in 2014 after beginning last season with the Blue Jays, said that he couldn't evaluate what Tuesday's outing had done for his chances.

"All I can do is go work," Rogers said. "Tomorrow, [I'll] come in with my head up and keep working. That decision, they're going to make it. I don't have to."

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Flores caps Yanks' comeback with walk-off blast

The walk-off shot came after Anibal Sanchez turned in another sharp spring performance. He was supported by Ian Kinsler and J.D. Martinez, who each drove in a pair of runs to highlight Detroit's attack against Esmil Rogers. Martinez, who signed with the Tigers a year ago Tuesday, is tied with Kinsler for the team lead in RBIs this spring with 11. Losing ground in the race to be the Yanks' fifth starter, Rogers permitted five runs (one earned) on five hits in three innings, with his own fielding error affecting his line.

J. Martinez's two-run double

DET@NYY: J. Martinez hits a two-run double to center

3/24/15: J.D. Martinez hits a two-run double to right-center field and increases the Tigers' lead to four runs

Sanchez cruised through five innings, holding the Yanks to a pair of runs on four hits. Mark Teixeira skied a run-scoring ground-rule double to left field in the first inning and Carlos Beltran lifted a third-inning sacrifice fly off Sanchez, who tossed five scoreless innings in his last outing against the Nationals.

Sanchez's five strong frames

DET@NYY: Sanchez whiffs six over five solid innings

3/24/15: Anibal Sanchez pitches five innings, allowing two runs on four hits and three walks while striking out four batters

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Gose turns double play

DET@NYY: Gose makes catch and throws out Gardner

3/24/15: Anthony Gose catches a fly ball in center field and fires to third base to throw out Brett Gardner and complete the double play

Gose with the hose: Anthony Gose made an impact with his bat (singling in the opening inning) and his legs (stealing second base on his way to scoring) as he continued to make his case as a leadoff hitter. Most impressive, however, was the impact with his arm. He first threw out speedy Brett Gardner trying to tag up from second to third base on Chase Headley's fly ball to right-center in the opening inning. Then Gose threw out Stephen Drew trying to stretch out a double in the fourth.

Cabrera picks up baserunning: Miguel Cabrera wasn't supposed to slide into bases until he does sliding drills on pads Wednesday morning. When he went from first to second base on a Yoenis Cespedes infield single in the second inning, he beat the timetable, sliding feet first into second base.

"I didn't see him," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. "I looked up and he had dirt on his pants, and I looked at him and went, 'Did you slide?' And he said, 'Yeah.' So when he came off the field, I told him he doesn't have to slide [in drills] tomorrow since he showed me he can do it tonight."

Girardi on Rogers' outing

DET@NYY: Girardi on the pitching rotation for Yankees

3/24/15: Joe Girardi discusses Esmil Rogers' outing, the starting pitching rotation for the Yankees and choosing the starters for 2015

Pleading the fifth: Girardi said that he considered Tuesday's outing to be "a pretty big start" for Rogers, who is battling Adam Warren and others for the No. 5 job. The right-hander didn't score any points when he bobbled a routine Jose Iglesias chopper in the second inning, the type of play that all big league clubs practice ad nauseam during the spring. That opened the door for a four-run Detroit frame, but to his credit, Rogers did bounce back with a 1-2-3 third inning.

Cespedes stays in the ballgame

DET@NYY: Cespedes hits the wall in foul territory

3/24/15: Yoenis Cespedes races into foul territory adjacent to left field attempting to catch a ball, hits the wall and stays in the game

Shaken up but OK: The Tigers received a scare in the second inning when Cespedes misplayed Teixeira's looping double to left field, then appeared to slam his left hip/leg into a metal bullpen fence. Cespedes limped back to his position and was attended to by a Detroit trainer, but he stayed in the game.

QUOTABLE

"He's a guy that is definitely on our radar. If something was to happen to one of our outfielders, I think he'd be a pretty strong candidate." -- Girardi on Flores

WHAT'S NEXT

The Tigers will welcome back Don Kelly to Lakeland in a Miami uniform on Wednesday when the Marlins make their annual visit for a 1:05 p.m. ET game at Joker Marchant Stadium. Victor Martinez is scheduled to serve as the designated hitter in his second Tigers game since returning from knee surgery. Alfredo Simon will make the start for Detroit opposite David Phelps. The game marks the first of five telecasts produced by Fox Sports Detroit, with Mario Impemba and Rod Allen on the air. The broadcast will also be available on MLB.TV.

Masahiro Tanaka appears to be in line to serve as the Yankees' Opening Day starter, and the right-hander will make his third start of the spring on Wednesday as the Bombers entertain the Mets at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Right-hander Rafael Montero is on the mound for the Mets in a 1:05 p.m. ET start that will be televised on YES and also available on MLB.TV.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. Read Beck's Blog and follow him on Twitter @beckjason. Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Mitchell backed by homers from Young, McCann

McCann's two-run homer

NYY@WSH: McCann connects for a two-run homer

3/23/15: Brian McCann drives a Doug Fister pitch for a two-run homer, giving the Yankees a 3-0 lead in the top of the 3rd inning

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Young dials up power -- twice: The Yankees outfielder belted his first two homers of the spring, starting with a solo homer to lead off the fifth inning against Fister to tie the game at 4. Young went deep again in the sixth inning, hammering a line drive down the left-field line off right-hander Casey Janssen for a two-run homer that gave the Yankees a 6-4 advantage.

Young's second homer

WSH@NYY: Young hits his second homer of the game

3/23/15: Chris Young hits his second home run of the day, a two-run shot to give the Yankees a 6-4 lead

Escobar in form in debut: Nationals second baseman Yunel Escobar played his first game of the spring and showed that he is over his Grade 1 oblique strain. He went 1-for-2 with an infield single and made a great diving play in the third inning. Brett Gardner hit a ground ball to Escobar, who dove to his right to throw out Gardner, but Rob Refsnyder scored on the play.

Escobar snags sharp grounder

NYY@WSH: Escobar makes fine diving stop as run scores

3/23/15: Yunel Escobar makes a nice diving stop on a hard ground ball to get the out at first as a run comes home to score

Prospect Ward gets surprise: Drew Ward received quite the shock when he was told that he was leaving the Minor League side for a day to play with the big league team. He went 1-for-2 with an infield single in the second inning off Mitchell. The Nationals needed an extra player to rest Ian Stewart, who needed the day off. Stewart had played every day since Anthony Rendon went down with an MCL sprain in his left knee. Ward is considered the third baseman of the future. Last year, he played for Class A Hagerstown and hit .269 with 10 home runs and 73 RBIs. The Nationals are expecting his power to develop in a few years.

ON THE INJURY FRONT

Ellsbury setting sights on Opening Day: Jacoby Ellsbury reported improvement in his strained right oblique, and the Yankees' outfielder said his next step will be to resume hitting and throwing. Ellsbury expressed confidence that his name will appear in the New York lineup on Opening Day.

DECISIONS LOOMING

For starters, who's fifth? The candidates for the final spot in the Yankees' rotation might have their final opportunity to impress manager Joe Girardi this week. The Yankees are considering a number of candidates -- including Adam Warren, Chase Whitley and Esmil Rogers, who will start Tuesday against the Tigers. Mitchell also has an outside chance.

Mitchell gets Desmond swinging

NYY@WSH: Mitchell whiffs Desmond to get his first K

3/23/15: Bryan Mitchell gets his first strikeout of the game by whiffing Ian Desmond to record an out in the bottom of the 1st

WHAT'S NEXT

The Yankees return home to George Steinbrenner Field to take on the Tigers on Tuesday night at 7:05 p.m. ET, live on MLB.TV. Right-hander Rogers is set to make his fourth Grapefruit League start in what could be his final audition for the fifth-starter spot. Girardi has said he would like to make a decision by the end of the week.

Jamal Collier is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter at @jamalcollier. Bill Ladson is a reporter for MLB.com and writes an MLBlog, All Nats All the time. He also could be found on Twitter @WashingNats. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Betances, Miller not concerned with title of 'closer'

"I didn't know what I was going to do last year. I'm ready just to help the team win," Betances said. "We have a couple weeks left and I'm just trying to do whatever I can to better myself, to put myself in a good position to do the best I can right off the start."

Betances fans Nava

BOS@NYY: Betances strikes out Nava in the 2nd

3/11/15: Dellin Betances strikes out Daniel Nava swinging after coming in for relief in the 2nd

Miller, who signed a four-year, $36 million deal with the Yankees after excelling last year with the Red Sox and Orioles, has said that the topic of closing did not come up in his negotiations as a free agent. He arrived in camp ready to do whatever the Yanks asked.

"I've never had a role before," Miller said. "I never got called into [Red Sox manager] John Farrell's office and told I was the seventh-inning lefty specialist or I was the setup guy or anything. I think neither of us have been in a situation where we've been an anointed closer before, so it's not like we can say that's a comfort zone for us."

Betances is coming off a dominant season as an All-Star setup man in which he struck out 135 in 90 innings with a 1.40 ERA. Miller had a 2.02 ERA and 103 strikeouts in 62 1/3 innings. Girardi has made the point that Betances, a right-hander, and Miller, a left-hander, have proven they can get batters out from both sides of the plate.

"When the phone rings, we'll pitch, and until otherwise I have no problem with it -- and I can't imagine anyone else does," Miller said. "I think it might be a little unique, but I think we've come to establish that three outs in the ninth inning doesn't have to be as specific as it has been historically the last couple of decades."

Miller strikes out Machado

DET@NYY: Miller strikes out Machado in the 5th inning

3/14/15: Andrew Miller strikes out Dixon Machado to end the 5th inning

Girardi said that he is focusing on more pressing decisions -- like picking the fifth starter from a group that includes Adam Warren, Esmil Rogers, Bryan Mitchell and Chase Whitley, and selecting a backup catcher from the pair of John Ryan Murphy and Austin Romine.

Betances and Miller each own one career save -- Betances' was a two-inning outing last season and Miller's came in an extra-inning game with the O's -- but there are plenty of voices who can offer guidance. Betances said that he has talked to Mariano Rivera, as well as David Robertson, about the demands of the closing role.

"For them, the key was just try to treat it the same way, even though it's a bigger situation," Betances said. "Try to treat it the same way. No matter what happens, the next day was a new day. The sun is going to come out, so you just have to be ready for whatever. You're not always going to be perfect. After a blown save, you just have to be mentally prepared to go back out there and get the job done the next day."

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Young belts pair of homers, ready for any role

VIERA, Fla -- Outfielder Chris Young is not entirely sure what his role will be with the Yankees this season, and he is fine with that.

"I showed up last year not knowing what would happen," Young said, referring to signing with the Yankees 12 days after being released by the Mets in August. "And I ended up playing quite a bit."

Young belted his first two homers of the spring during Monday's 7-6 loss to the Nationals at Space Coast Stadium. He is still working on the balance between taking pitches and staying aggressive at the plate to further improve his timing, and Monday was a big step forward.

Young's second homer

WSH@NYY: Young hits his second homer of the game

3/23/15: Chris Young hits his second home run of the day, a two-run shot to give the Yankees a 6-4 lead

Young led off the fifth inning with a solo homer off right-hander Doug Fister before going deep again in the sixth, a two-run shot off reliever Casey Janssen.

"You have days where you show up and you feel great," Young said. "And you have days where everything just feels out of whack, because you're not really used to that day-to-day grind yet."

Young entered 2014 with a spot in the Mets' starting outfield after signing a one-year, $7.25 million deal as a free agent. However, he was released in August after enduring sustained struggles. The Yankees needed Young to lessen the blow of injuries in their outfield last season. Going forward, Young provides insurance if center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury (oblique) is not able to start the season on time.

"The entire goal is just to be ready for whatever," Young said. "Be prepared for whatever situation is going to get thrown my way."

Jamal Collier is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter at @jamalcollier. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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A-Rod, Beltran have 'productive' day in Minor League camp

"It was good. Tiring, but very productive," Rodriguez said. "I said to Carlos, 'That's the longest five innings we've ever played.' But it was good."

Beltran also felt the day was productive, facing pitching from the Blue Jays' top two farm clubs. He is pleased to not be experiencing any discomfort swinging or throwing coming off right elbow surgery performed in September.

Spring Training Daily: Beltran

Spring Training Daily: Carlos Beltran

After an injury plagued 2014, Carlos Beltran is looking to get back on track in 2015

"I feel like I'm making improvements, seeing the ball better," Beltran said. "That's what I can ask for. I feel physically fine, so it can't get better than this. I know at the end of the day, you want the result, you want to hit the ball hard, but for me it's more about feeling healthy, feeling like I'm recuperating every day well. Thank God, I'm doing that."

With the rest of their Yankees teammates either across the state in Port St. Lucie or enjoying a day off, Rodriguez faced three right-handers and two left-handers. He added that he was able to spend the morning fine-tuning his approach with assistant hitting coach Alan Cockrell.

Rodriguez said that Cockrell is helping him keep his swing short to the ball and control the barrel of the bat. Rodriguez had a strong relationship with hitting coach Kevin Long, who was dismissed by the Yankees last year and quickly hired by the Mets, but Rodriguez said he has enjoyed speaking with the new hitting coach team of Cockrell and Jeff Pentland.

"At this point I pretty much know what I want to do in the box, but it's good to have a sounding board like Jeff and Alan, guys who have been around the game a combined 50 years or more," Rodriguez said. "I do like that Jeff and I are working on angles, staying on top of the baseball to create better leverage and backspin."

A-Rod on his spring so far

TOR@NYY: A-Rod on spring so far, excitement for 2015

3/17/15: Alex Rodriguez discusses what he needs to still work on as Spring Training finishes and his excitement for Opening Day

Beltran and Rodriguez will play on the Minor League side again Monday, with Beltran scheduled to play five innings in right field and Rodriguez serving as the DH.

"These innings, they last for 25 minutes," Beltran said, with a smile. "So I'm feeling sorry about myself [Monday]. I don't know what's going to happen."

The veteran big leaguers came to the complex already dressed in their uniforms and departed while the games were wrapping up. Rodriguez laughed as he climbed into the driver's seat of an SUV, still clad in his jersey and pinstriped pants.

"I look like I'm going to my slow-pitch softball game," Rodriguez said.

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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CC's rough spring continues, but lefty feeling good

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Three home runs against Yankees starter CC Sabathia and another encouraging performance from right-hander Matt Harvey lifted the Mets to a 6-0 Grapefruit League win over the rival Yankees on Sunday afternoon at sold-out Tradition Field.

The Yankees also lost Jose Pirela, who suffered a concussion in the first. He was injured when he slammed into the center-field wall chasing a drive off the fence by Mets leadoff hitter Juan Lagares, who circled the bases for an inside-the-park homer.

First baseman Lucas Duda homered with two outs in the first and David Wright added a two-run shot in the third.

Pirela exits after hitting wall

NYY@NYM: Pirela exits the game after injury in center

3/22/15: Jose Pirela exits the game on a cart in the 1st after hitting the wall attempting to field a Juan Lagares inside-the-park homer

The 34-year-old Sabathia, who is coming off arthroscopic right knee surgery, went 2 2/3 innings in his second start, allowing four runs on five hits. He also struck out four. His Grapefruit League earned run average is 11.57.

The former Cy Young Award winner remains undeterred.

"I told [pitching coach Larry Rothschild] I felt a lot better than I did last spring and I didn't give up any runs," Sabathia said. "So I'd rather get my [behind] kicked and feel like I did [Sunday] than give up no runs and feel like I did last year."

Sabathia's 1st-inning strikeout

NYY@NYM: Sabathia gets Cuddyer to go down on strikes

3/22/15: CC Sabathia strikes out Michael Cuddyer to get out of the bottom of the 1st inning

Harvey, who was making his fourth start, is coming back from Tommy John surgery. He's pitched a total of 9 2/3 shutout innings in his last two outings, allowing the Mets and their fans to believe that he's ready to pick up where he left off when he started the All-Star Game as a rookie in 2013.

Against a Yankees lineup that included starters Didi Gregorius, Stephen Drew, Chase Headley and Mark Teixeira, Harvey allowed just two singles and no walks while striking out four to lower his ERA to 1.26. He was taken out with two outs in the sixth when he reached his 60-pitch limit.

In the eighth, Eric Campbell cracked the Mets' fourth long ball, a solo shot off Chasen Shreve.

Baker fans Recker

NYY@NYM: Baker fans Recker in the 7th inning

3/22/15: Scott Baker strikes out Anthony Recker in the bottom of the 7th inning

Up next: The Yankees travel to Viera, Fla., to face the Nationals at Space Coast Stadium at 1:05 p.m. ET on Monday on MLB.TV. Right-hander Bryan Mitchell, who is in the mix for the final spot in the rotation, will make his second Grapefruit League start. He has allowed four runs on eight hits in four innings.

Paul Hagen is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Yankees encouraged by CC's increased velocity

PORT ST.LUCIE, Fla. -- Yankees lefty CC Sabathia felt encouraged after his second Grapefruit League start. Sure, he was not happy he gave up three home runs -- one an inside-the-parker -- in 2 2/3 innings, but he is not worried about the results during the spring.

"I said to [Yankees pitching coach] Larry [Rothschild] I felt a lot better than I did last spring and I didn't give up any runs," Sabathia said. "So I'd rather get my [butt] kicked and feel like I did today then give up no runs and feel like I did last year."

Sabathia allowed four runs on five hits with four strikeouts, and although he did not have his best command, he left the outing feeling encouraged. He had not seen a radar gun, yet he could consider some of the Mets' swings to tell he had some life in his fastball. His fastball velocity has been back in the low to mid 90s after hovering in the upper 80s for most of last season.

"We notice that and we're encouraged about it," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said before the game. "Whenever you have more velocity, a lot of times there's a bigger discrepancy between your fastball and your changeup. Your slider is going to be sharper because there's more arm speed. It makes a difference."

"He looked sharp, crisp," Mets third baseman David Wright said. "Stuff-wise, he looked like the CC I remember when he was excellent."

Although Sabathia has only completed two outings, he is not worried about being behind for the start of the season.

"For him it's just just getting back to the consistency and getting him some work," Girardi said. "He feels great, there's a lot of life to his arm, so I'm still encouraged. I don't worry about the numbers, I'm not going to because I think he needs to pitch; he's not pitched a lot in the last 20 months or whatever. So we've got to get him out there."

Jamal Collier is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter at @jamalcollier. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Bailey not holding anything back in bid to win bullpen spot

TAMPA, Fla. -- There are three small scars near Andrew Bailey's right shoulder, permanent reminders of the major procedure that threatened to end his career. But since the discomfort has disappeared, the Yankees right-hander sees no reason to hold anything back.

"I've got nothing to lose," Bailey said. "I'm out there competing, throwing the ball as hard as I can, and see what happens. To me, having a surgery like I had, a lot of guys don't come back from it. For me, it's letting it go and trusting the stuff and trusting the rehab and the time put in."

Bailey made his second appearance of the spring on Saturday, firing a scoreless seventh inning with two strikeouts in the Yankees' 3-2 Grapefruit League victory over the Astros. The former All-Star closer has not pitched in the Majors since 2013, when he was diagnosed with labrum and capsule damage in his pitching shoulder.

"It's definitely fun to get back on a hill and follow up my first outing with another healthy second one," Bailey said. "That's most important for me, and just take the ball whenever they want."

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said that Bailey has looked "pretty good," coming off his one inning of work on Wednesday against the Braves, but the team is still not sure when he will be ready to pitch on consecutive days.

Because of that, as well as the Yanks' stocked bullpen, Bailey could begin the season in the Minors. In the meantime, Bailey said that he has been working with pitching coach Larry Rothschild on the mechanics of his cutter, which he said improved on Saturday. Bailey was also pleased with how his fastball and curveball felt against the Astros.

"I like to get out there and let it go," Bailey said. "Today I just hit my spots a lot more, executed better and was able to get that cutter where I wanted to this time around. Last time I was kind of middle with it. I had some better movement on it and I look forward to the next time."

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Girardi prefers Gardner stay away from climbing walls

"We're working on pace of game in Spring Training, and Chris Young was like, 'You think I'm going to have to jump over there?'" Gardner said. "I said, 'If you're not going to, I am. Otherwise, we're going to be waiting 10 minutes for someone to go all the way around and get your glove.' So I just said, all right, I'll do it, whatever."

Once over the wall, Gardner saw the ball lying next to Young's glove and tossed that in for good measure. He said that he had wanted to throw the ball all the way to second base, but the overhang of the batter's eye made Gardner settle for a soft flip over the fence.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi did not seem to be amused. A replacement glove was already being sent out to center field, and Girardi was worried by the off chance that Gardner could have been injured by leaping over the fence -- which measures eight feet and five inches -- twice.

"We've seen guys hit a home run, jump up and land on the plate and break an ankle," Girardi said. "... I told him, 'This isn't Little League. Gardy thought he was in the movie 'The Sandlot' or something."

Gardner said that he did not see danger in jumping over the wall, noting that he has done it before.

"It was easier to go over than to come back. I could get a little running start," Gardner said. "I think I kind of put my foot into the wall and climbed up going over. Coming back, I had to grab on to the top of the fence and pull myself up. That fence is dirty, too, by the way -- real dirty, dirty, dusty."

Gardner also said that he never considered the embarrassing scenario in which he was able to climb out of the stadium, but couldn't get back in.

"I would've probably walked around back to the players' lot to my truck and left, maybe," Gardner said. "If I stayed back there long enough, I guess they would have sent somebody else out to play left field. I would've had a quick exit. It worked out all right."

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Tanaka would consider OD assignment a great honor

TAMPA, Fla. -- The Yankees are not ready to say if they are lining up Masahiro Tanaka to start on Opening Day, but the right-hander said that he would "absolutely" consider the assignment to be a great honor.

Tanaka threw 36 pitches in the bullpen on Sunday at George M. Steinbrenner Field, where he is scheduled to face the Mets on Wednesday. That creates a scenario where Tanaka would be ready to take the mound on April 6 against the Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium.

"It will be a great thing if a pitcher is able to pitch on Opening Day," Tanaka said through an interpreter. "But for me, obviously I got hurt last season. My main goal here is to try to have a healthy season throughout the year."

Assuming Tanaka makes it through Wednesday's start without issue, his next outing could come on March 31 against the Twins in Fort Myers, or in a Minor League game in Tampa. Five days later, the Yankees are set to open the regular season.

The Yankees have been encouraged that Tanaka has shown no signs of discomfort, despite sustaining a partial tear of his ulnar collateral ligament last July. He has pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings over two spring starts, allowing two hits, no walks and recording five strikeouts.

Asked to evaluate his spring, Tanaka said, "Getting there. I still have a couple of more games to play for the [Grapefruit League] games, but so far it's been good."

CC Sabathia has served as the Yankees' Opening Day starter in each of his six seasons wearing pinstripes. But manager Joe Girardi indicated that there is no guarantee that Sabathia will take the ball on April 6, because he has been on a slower spring program coming off right knee surgery. Michael Pineda is also an option to start the opener.

"We're trying to line people up. But I can't give you an Opening Day starter, because it kind of depends on where we feel they're at," Girardi said. "We're just trying to get people lined up the best way we can."

Tanaka said that he has started on Opening Day only once previously, in 2012 for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. He did not start his team's opener in 2013 because he was participating in the World Baseball Classic.

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Long trip is next step in CC's road to recovery

TAMPA, Fla. -- CC Sabathia was not tempted to use his veteran status to get out of a 2 ½-hour trip to Florida's Treasure Coast, saying that he'd prefer to log some extra miles in order to face a big league lineup.

"We talked about just wanting the competition," said Sabathia, who will face the Mets on Sunday at Tradition Field in Port St. Lucie, Fla. "I haven't pitched since May, so we just thought this would be the best option."

It will be the second spring start for Sabathia, who is scheduled to throw 45-50 pitches. While manager Joe Girardi has acknowledged that Sabathia's string of six consecutive Opening Day starts as a Yankee could be snapped this year, the 34-year-old left-hander said he feels confident about being ready for the beginning of the season.

"I think that's just because we took it slow," Sabathia said. "Throwing the extra batting practice and throwing two extra bullpens has gotten me to this point healthy. I'm ready to take the next step, and that's actually getting ready for the season."

Sabathia was limited to eight starts last year, going 3-4 with a 5.28 ERA, and he had season-ending arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in July. The lefty has had no issues with the knee, and he has been encouraged by the status of his teammates as well.

"A lot of the concerns were health, and I think a lot of it coming in, that was our big concern," Sabathia said. "Everyone's been healthy and throwing and hitting and doing everything pretty good, so I'm excited."

Sabathia is scheduled to face Mets right-hander Matt Harvey, but Sabathia said that he is not particularly curious to see how Harvey looks coming off Tommy John surgery.

"Not really, man. He's not on my team," Sabathia said. "I'm curious to see how [Masahiro] Tanaka looks. That's my guy."

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Ryan laces double in spring debut for Yanks

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Brendan Ryan finally made his first appearance of the spring on Friday, playing five innings at shortstop and contributing a run-scoring double in the Yankees' 11-2 Grapefruit League victory over the Tigers at Joker Marchant Stadium.

Ryan has been sidelined all spring by a mid-back sprain that he said was sustained while performing biceps curls in an offseason workout. Ryan got off to a quick start, belting a Alfredo Simon fastball over the head of left fielder Rajai Davis to drive in the Yanks' first run.

Ryan said that it felt "awesome" to be back on the field, finishing the afternoon 1-for-3. Yankees manager Joe Girardi said that there seemed to be no lingering issues with Ryan, who is expected to serve as the backup shortstop to Didi Gregorius opening the season.

"He almost got killed in BP, but besides that everything was good," Girardi said. "Two bullets smoked at him when he was playing catch. That's Brendan. Just leave it at that."

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Warren takes step forward in battle for rotation spot

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Adam Warren said that it is only human nature to peek over a shoulder and see how the competition is handling the Yankees' fifth-starter race, but if the right-hander takes care of business like he did on Friday, there will be little to worry about.

Warren showcased his sharpest stuff of the spring in New York's 11-2 Grapefruit League victory over the Tigers, scattering four hits over five innings of one-run ball with no walks and three strikeouts. His lone blemish was a solo Yoenis Cespedes homer in the fifth.

"I feel like I'm getting close," Warren said. "Just spotting the fastball, getting ahead in the count for the most part with all my pitches. I feel like I'm getting there and a lot more consistent with everything in my delivery. I was pleased. I just want to take the next step next outing and keep building on that."

Warren's outing impressed manager Joe Girardi, one day after he judged Esmil Rogers to be just "OK" after coughing up his first three runs of the spring in a 3 1/3-inning effort against the Braves.

"Good, really good," Girardi said. "He had everything today. He was effective with all his pitches. He was ahead in the count."

Girardi has said that he is beginning to evaluate these outings more seriously, and so it is only natural to compare that with the "we've seen him sharper" that he offered in analysis of Rogers' outing. Girardi said that it would be premature to declare a front-runner.

"Let's let them have the whole body of work, because things can change quickly in a week or 10 days," Girardi said. "Adam threw the ball exceptionally well today, and that's what competition does. You're going to have a lot of discussion about it, but you wait until the end."

Girardi said that the fifth-starter competition is likely to come up in meetings several times between now and March 28, when the Yankees would like to have a decision made so the other pitchers can begin preparing for their bullpen roles.

In addition to Warren and Rogers, the Yanks are evaluating Chase Whitley -- who threw three scoreless innings on Friday -- as well as Bryan Mitchell and non-roster invitee Scott Baker. Warren had a 2.97 ERA in 69 relief appearances for New York last season and said he does not feel any added pressure because of the competition.

"It does make it feel more like a real game, I guess, just because you want to go out there and do well," Warren said. "It definitely adds a little bit to it. I'm not trying to put any extra pressure on myself. I already put enough pressure on myself as it is."

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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