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Yankees’ Youkilis takes a seat as his back tightens up

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SEATTLE — Joe Girardi didn’t want to mess with Kevin Youkilis’ back after watching him slide into first base to record an out Saturday.

So the manager started Jayson Nix at third and returned Mark Teixeira to first yesterday for the Yankees’ 2-1 win over the Mariners after he was the designated hitter in Saturday’s 3-1 win.

“He was a little stiff. I was probably going to give him a day off [yesterday] anyway. It was going to be [Saturday or yesterday],’’ Girardi said. “This way he gets back-to-back days. His stiffness probably has something to do with him playing five days in a row.’’

JAY TO GO: Jayson Nix (left) gets a low-five from Mark Teixeira after scoring the Yankees’ first run in their 2-1 win over the Mariners yesterday.

The Yankees are off today and open a three-game series in Oakland tomorrow night.

There were several late-game pinch-hitting spots in which Girardi could have used Youkilis yesterday, but he didn’t.

“I was trying to stay away from him,’’Girardi said.

Girardi has a reason to be cautious with Youkilis. On April 20, Youkilis came out of a game in Toronto with what he said was nothing more than tightness in his lower back. Seven days later he played again and then went on the disabled list from April 30 to May 31 with a strained lumbar.

In the second inning of Saturday’s game, Youkilis fielded a Raul Ibanez grounder and decided the only way he was going to get an out was to slide feet-first into the base. Youkilis believed that was the best way because he didn’t know if Andy Pettitte was going to make it ahead of the heavy-legged Ibanez.

“Half the problem is I go as hard as I can,’’ Youkilis said. “Maybe I’ll dive head first. [Saturday] it was stiff but I will be stiff the rest of my life.’’

* Brett Gardner, who had four hits yesterday, went 3-for-4 against Felix Hernandez to raise his career average against the Mariners’ ace to .391 (9-for-23).

Gardner was at the plate when Seattle manager Eric Wedge and trainer Rick Griffin went to the mound to check on Hernandez, who had grimaced after throwing a pitch.

Since Hernandez has experienced in-game back issues this year, it appeared the back was bothering him. Instead, the problem was he couldn’t catch his breath. When he did, he fired a 97-mph fastball which was his last pitch of the game.

“We were seeing 92 [mph] all game,” Gardner said. “Where did that 97 come from?’’

Gardner has at least one hit in 15 of 17 games and is batting .365 (23-for-63) during that stretch. He has hit in seven straight.

“I can’t point to one thing,” he said in explaining the hot streak. “I am being aggressive and taking advantage of the pitches I get to hit.’’

* Michael Pineda made his first minor league rehab start yesterday for Single-A Tampa in Lakeland, Fla.

He was originally scheduled to work Saturday, but that game in Lakeland was rained out.

In 4 1/3 innings, Pineda gave up an unearned run, two hits, walked one and fanned four in a 3-1 loss.

Pineda is on a 30-day rehab assignment and will be added to the big league roster or optioned to the minors.

* If Derek Jeter gets cleared by Dr. Robert Anderson this week when he visits the surgeon who operated on the left ankle last October, Girardi said the shortstop will “start doing baseball activities again.’’|

Jeter has yet to play this season and the Yankees only say they expect him to return after the All-Star break (July 15-18).

* According to Girardi, shortstop Eduardo Nunez has started exercises after suffering a setback with the rib-cage injury that has forced him to miss over a month.

“He is doing rotational exercises so we are back at it again,’’ Girardi said.

* CC Sabathia and Amber Sabathia, in conjunction with their charitable organization PitCCH In Foundation, will re-open and dedicate a renovated basketball court in Vallejo, Calif., today.

The court in North Vallejo Park will be renamed “Demetrius C. Davis Basketball Court.” Davis, a cousin of CC’s who was drafted by the Oakland Raiders, died of a heart attack last December.

george.king@nypost.com








Source Article from http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/yankees/youk_takes_seat_as_his_back_tightens_JnNUVi3ZBw0fnVU9FufucI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Yankees

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