Girardi: Curtis Granderson might play in left or right when he returns
Curtis Granderson sits in the dugout watching a game against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium. (April 14, 2013) Credit: AP
The Yankees apparently have changed their mind about where Curtis Granderson will play when he is activated from the disabled list, and Joe Girardi suggested Sunday it won't exclusively be centerfield, as they initially said after Granderson's injury.
Girardi was asked Sunday if Brett Gardner would remain in center upon Granderson's return, and the manager tiptoed around the topic.
"We'll decide that as time goes on," Girardi said. "We just want to get him healthy. People have asked me a lot about when Grandy come back, what are you going to do with your outfield? You have three guys that are playing pretty well.
"Grandy is going to play. He's a big part of our offense. But as we've seen around here, a lot can happen in a couple weeks."
During spring training, the Yankees' experiment with Granderson in leftfield lasted a half-inning before he suffered the fractured right forearm. But once he landed on the DL, Girardi said in early March that Granderson would be put back in center because he wanted him to be comfortable.
That no longer seems to be a priority, however, after watching Gardner on the job through the first 30 games of the season. Granderson is playing all three outfield positions during his rehab stint in Tampa, and Girardi evidently thinks that will be enough preparation to move him to a corner spot at the major-league level.
"We might toy around with some other things," Girardi said.
Like?
"Left, right," he added. "Other things."
With the Yankees expected to let Granderson walk as a free agent after this season, they're not overly concerned about his long-term happiness here, and Girardi seems content to have Gardner play center. It's also not a decision the manager needs to make tomorrow.
The Yankees don't have a return date yet for Granderson, who had a bit of a scary moment Saturday when he was hit on the right triceps by a pitch -- just higher up the same arm from his fractured bone.
"From what I understand, he's OK," Girardi said. "He's kind of picking up where he left off."
Extra bases
David Robertson (hamstring) played catch again before Sunday's game and expects to be ready for Tuesday's series opener at Coors Field. "It feels much better," Robertson said . . . Cody Eppley cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
