Injury Updates: Jeter, Tex, Granderson, Hughes, Nunez,

Jon Heyman is reporting that Derek Jeter, Mark Texieira and Curtis Granderson could all be back by May 1st:

Yankees people are mentioning May 1 as potentially the key date in their season. The team's medical people are suggesting, at least in behind-the-scenes conversations, that May 1 could be a target date for the return of three of their missing stars: Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira and Curtis Granderson.

May 1 might be optimistic, and a Yankees person suggested that date may assume no more setbacks. Jeter still needs to go through several steps before he can return, starting with taking grounders. The first time he began taking grounders this spring it was still a few weeks before he appeared in a spring game. Understandably, the Yankees plan to proceed cautiously with their iconic shortstop. He is eligible to come off the disabled list Saturday, as they had hoped he could make it back by the end of the first week of the season even after opening day was ruled out.

The way things are going with this team, I wouldn't be surprised if all three were not on the field for that Astros series, but keep your fingers crossed.

As for Eduardo Nunez, he may be sidelined for a little while after getting him on the arm in yesterday's game:

This is how Eduardo Nunez’s day ended at Comerica Park yesterday.

As his teammates filed out of the visiting clubhouse after their 8-3 loss to the Tigers, the Yankees shortstop struggled to put on his jacket. Finally, after several frustrating tries, catcher Chris Stewart had to come over and help Nunez slide his aching right arm into the sleeve of his coat.

It’s bad enough when older Yankees are injured, but it’s really bad when young Yankees get hurt. Nunez was hit in the right biceps by an 88-mph fastball from Tigers starter Doug Fister in the fourth inning and Nunez fell to the ground in terrible pain. He eventually had to be helped off the field. X-rays were negative and the injury is being labeled a bruise.

“I was scared, I thought it was broken, I felt pain all down my arm,’’ Nunez said. “The pain was so bad. I felt much better when I heard the X-rays were negative, and now we’ll see how it feels.’’

Nunez said he does not expect to be sidelined long, but considering the trouble he had putting on his jacket, don’t expect him to play today against the Tigers.

Finally, some actual decent news, Phil Hughes will be activated today:

Phil Hughes will be activated from the disabled list this afternoon. It’s one of those rare moments when a player coming off the DL earlier than expected isn’t necessarily good news. It’s not necessarily bad news – Hughes is healthy, was just expected to get one more tune up — but the move has more to do with an overworked pitching staff than overwhelmingly dominant pitcher.

Yankees Call Up Six

With the rosters expanding today, the Yankees have called up six minor leaguers. Francisco Cervelli, Eduardo Nunez, Chris Dickerson, Adam Warren, Cory Wade, and Justin Thomas are all with the team today. To make room for Dickerson on the 40-man, Ramiro Pena was designated for assignment.

I assume there will be more moves as the minor league season comes to a close.

Nunez Sent Down

From Marc Carig:

Eduardo Nunez's error-filled tenure in the Bronx is over -- for now.

After committing two critical errors last night, the Yankees optioned Nunez to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre to make room for backup third baseman Eric Chavez, who was activated from the seven-day disabled list for concussions.

"We've asked Nuney to do some things that you usually ask more of veteran player to do, to play third, short, second, left, right," manager Joe Girardi said. "And for the best interest of him and us moving forward, we thought it was probably more important that he goes down and play shortstop six days a week and maybe second a day a week. And getting back to playing every day."

Sucks for Nunez, but you can't say he didn't earn the demotion. Hopefully he does the necessary work to improve his glove and is back in the Bronx in the near future.

Jayson Nix will replace Nunez on the roster.

Gardner's Return Delayed

From Marc Carig:

Left fielder Brett Gardner is eligible to come off the disabled list Thursday, though Girardi called his activation on that day “a little doubtful.”

Gardner is ticketed to make at least one appearance in a minor-league game, which will likely push back his return from a strained left elbow.

If Gardner isn’t back on the roster by later this week, Eduardo Nunez may see more time in the outfield, with the Royals scheduled to start two left-handers.

Great, we get to see more of this:

Today's News: Pineda's Debut, Nunez Hurt

- Michael Pineda made his spring training debut today for the Yanks against the Phillies at Bright House Field and pitched well. Here's a breakdown from Pete Caldera:

Here’s how he did in the first inning…
Jimmy Rollins: Ground single up the middle (2-2 count)
Placido Polanco: Fielder’s choice groundout (3-2 count)
Shane Victorino: Strikes out (1-2 change-up)
Jim Thome: Strikes out (1-2 fastball)

Second inning:

Hunter Pence: Pops to first (1-1 pitch)
Ty Wigginton: Grounds out, catcher to first (1-1 pitch)
Domonic Brown: Lines out to third (1-1 pitch)

Pineda’s line: 2 IP, 1 hit, 0 BB, 2 K, 30 pitches, 19 strikes.

Afterward, Pineda was asked if he were nervous for his first time out as a Yankee: “Hell, no,” he said.

Pineda, 23, said he was “very confident now…very excited.”

According to Jack Curry, he also used that changeup everyone is banking on and said he was comfortable with the pitch. Nice outing, but there's a lot more to go.

The Yankees also don't seem too concerned that he came into camp 10 pounds overweight.

- As for Eduardo Nunez, he left today's game after being hit on the right hand by Austin Hyatt (who?) in the fifth. Nunez was got precautionary X-Rays and the Yanks are saying he has a contusion.

Braves Interested in Nunez

From John Harper:

Brian Cashman has always said he never regretted clinging tightly to Eduardo Nunez back in July of 2010 when the young infielder might have been the final necessary piece in the proposed trade for Cliff Lee. So would the Yankee GM give him up now if it meant a chance to acquire Braves pitcher Jair Jurrjens?

...

The Braves think highly enough of Nunez’s potential, according to a major league source, that they might consider trading Jurrjens, their 25-year-old All-Star righthander, to the Yankees in a deal built around the 23-year-old shortstop.

At the GM meetings last week the Braves reportedly were asking for a very high price in return for Jurrjens, but the source expects that price to come down.

“They’re willing to trade him,” the source said, “because they have plenty of young pitching without him, he’s starting to make big money — and he’s a (Scott) Boras guy who’ll be gone (as free agent) in two years.

“They need offense, they need a shortstop because they don’t want to bring (Alex) Gonzalez back, and they like Nunez a lot. They know the jury is out on him defensively, but they think his offense is strong enough that he could move to the outfield if he can’t be their long-term answer at short.”

A Yankee source, meanwhile, says that last week the Braves let the Bombers know they’d be interested in dealing for Nunez, but didn’t discuss Jurrjens or any specific players on their side.

Harper also mentions that Nick Swisher could also be part of a potential deal, since he could fill the Braves' void in the outfield.

I'm not sure how possible this actually is, but if the Yanks can actually make a deal like this I think they'd have to go for it, especially if things fall through on the FA pitching market. And if the Yankees do unload Swisher, I'd expect them to go after Cuban defector Yeonis Cespedes (which they'll probably do anyway).

Klapisch: Yanks Doing Just Fine Without Jeet

From Bob Klapisch:

Are the Yankees better off without Derek Jeter? No one in the organization will touch that question — at least not now, and certainly not on the record — but the team’s overall surge in the last two weeks has left officials wondering what to do with the aging captain when he finally comes off the disabled list.

In one sense, Jeter will be welcomed like a returning hero, ready to become the first Yankee to collect 3,000 hits — he's just six shy. But beneath the layer of pageantry is the front office's cold, calculated understanding of what's happened since June 14.

The Yankees are 10-3 during Jeter’s absence, not only catching and passing the Red Sox to sit atop the AL East, but now boasting the American League’s best record. Eduardo Nunez, the interim shortstop, is batting .295 during this 13-game span with a .354 on-base percentage and .409 slugging percentage.

Meanwhile, with the flexibility to rearrange his batting order, Joe Girardi has used both Brett Gardner and Nick Swisher in the leadoff spot. The result? The two have combined to hit .298 with three doubles, a homer and a .441 on-base percentage from that spot. Gardner, in particular, is passing the audition to eventually replace Jeter in the No. 1 spot: He’s batting .352 with a .439 on-base percentage and 16 runs in 22 games since June 4.

It’s numbers such as these that make the Yankees squirm, as they’re torn between their respect for Jeter’s legacy and the knowledge that he’s obviously declined.

GM Brian Cashman plays it safe when asked about the Yankees’ Jeter-less run, “I think this shows how talented we are, how we can withstand losing one our of everyday guys for a period of time” — although a more accurate barometer of Jeter’s standing with his employers was the haste with which they placed him on the DL.

The captain lobbied hard to remain on the active roster after straining a calf muscle, even though it would’ve left the Yankees shorthanded as they began interleague play. Jeter noted that Russell Martin had been able to work his way through a minor back injury without landing on the DL. Jeter all but asked: Why me and not him?

The Yankees were polite enough to not actually spell it out to Jeter, but the difference is that Martin was, and is, more vital to the Yankees’ everyday success. This isn’t 1999, when Jeter, at his peak, was a .342 hitter. These days, he’s receded to singles-only type offense. Even more damning, those timely, big hits of the past have disappeared.

...

With the Yankees in the middle of a hot streak and Nunez hitting so capably, is anyone other than Jeter really watching the calendar?

Don't pretend this wasn't on your mind already, because I know I have been thinking the same things lately.

The main thing that has helped this team so much in Jeter's absence is getting a hitter in the leadoff spot who isn't an automatic out. So, if Jeter comes back and has no problem sliding into that 9th spot, than I think the Yankees won't be much worse than they have been during this stretch. But of course, it won't be that easy.

The idea that Jeter will just accept batting at the bottom of the order is nothing short of laughable. Sure, a captain is supposed to always do what's best for the team, put the team first, etc., but when you have an ego as large as Jeter's, well then sometimes the team doesn't come first.

I know you all love Jeter, and you should. He's been a great Yankee and a hero to many of us. But there comes a time in every player's career when he has to realize that he's not the 25-year-old he once was. I can't image that's ever something that's easy to do, but am I (and Klapisch) the only ones who feel it's time for Jeter to bite the bullet and just accept whatever role the Yankees throw at him?

Nunez & Phelps Named Yankees Minor League Player & Pitcher of the Year

Here's the press release from the Yanks:

The New York Yankees today announced that infielder Eduardo Nunez and right-handed pitcher David Phelps were named winners of the Yankees' 2010 Kevin Lawn Award as the Yankees' minor league "Player of the Year" and "Pitcher of the Year," respectively. The two players will receive their awards prior to the Yankees-Blue Jays game on March 19 at George M. Steinbrenner Field, scheduled to begin at 1:05 p.m.

The annual awards are dedicated to Kevin O'Brien Lawn – the son of longtime Yankees Vice President and Chief of Operations Jack Lawn – who passed away in 1999.

Nunez, 23, batted .289 (134-for-464) with 55 runs, 25 doubles, three triples, four home runs, 50 RBI and 23 stolen bases in 118 games with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2010, earning a spot on the midseason and postseason International League All-Star rosters. He led all Scranton/WB batters in hits and stolen bases, ranked second in doubles and recorded the third-highest average among all Yankees farmhands. Nunez was promoted to the Major League level on August 19, where he hit .280 (14-for-50) with 12 runs, one home run and seven RBI in 30 games. Following the season, he was named by Baseball America as the eighth-best prospect, the "Best Defensive Infielder" and possessing the "Best Infield Arm" in the Yankees organization.

Phelps, 24, combined to go 10-2 with a 2.50 ERA and 141 strikeouts in 26 games (25 starts) with Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2010. He began the season with Trenton and went 6-0 with a 2.04 ERA and 84 strikeouts in 14 starts before being promoted to Scranton/WB on July 2. At the time of his promotion, he led the Eastern League in strikeouts and ranked second in ERA, earning EL midseason All-Star honors. With Scranton/WB, Phelps went 4-2 with a 3.07 ERA in 12 games (11 starts). Following the season, the Missouri native was tabbed by Baseball America as having the "Best Slider" in the Yankees organization.

Here are the last five winners of each award:

Year	Player of the Year	Pitcher of the Year
2010	SS Eduardo Nunez	RHP David Phelps
2009	C Austin Romine	RHP Zach McAllister
2008	OF Brett Gardner	LHP Phil Coke
2007	OF Austin Jackson	RHP Ian Kennedy
2006	1B Cody Ehlers	RHP Phil Hughes

Yanks See Nunez As Jeter's Sees Heir

From Bill Madden (hat-tip to Was Watching):

Now that Cliff Lee has proven to be postseason beatable after all – albeit one series too late for the Yankees – it is worth reviewing the behind-the-scenes circumstances that made him a Texas Ranger. It wasn't just the Rangers giving in on first-base prospect Justin Smoak at the last minute and trumping the Yankees' trade-deadline offer to the Seattle Mariners for Lee that centered around slugging catching prospect Jesus Montero.

No, the real deal-breaking prospect, as far as the Yankees were concerned, was infielder Eduardo Nunez. Yankee GM Brian Cashman was willing to sacrifice Montero - despite all the scouts' raves about his power potential - because he has a surplus of catchers. Nunez, on the other hand, is viewed by Cashman as a big part of the Yankee future which is why, when Mariners' GM Jack Zduriencik asked for his inclusion in the deal as a substitute for injured second-base prospect David Adams, the Yankee GM essentially said: "Enough!" Turns out Zduriencik was right about Adams being potentially damaged goods.... but in asking for Nunez he was asking for the player the Yankees are now viewing as Derek Jeter's successor. Though no one in the Yankee high command is ever going to even speculate about the future after 2011 - especially with the very sensitive contract negotiations with Jeter about to get underway – but it's becoming increasingly clear the plan is to phase out Jorge Posada next season when his contract expires, opening up the DH slot for Alex Rodriguez, thereby allowing Jeter to move to third, making room for a more athletic shortstop, which would be the 24-year-old Venezuelan, Nunez, who hit .289 with 50 RBI and 23 stolen bases in 118 games at Triple-A Scranton this season.

So what's the deal with Nunez? Is he the real deal? Here's what a couple of scouts had to say about him...

"Nunez is your consummate 'tools' guy," said the first scout. "He's got a plus arm, he can hit, has some pop and can run. He has a tendency, however, to get lackadaisical in the field and he needs to learn not to chase so many pitches."

"Do I think Nunez can be a 'plus' major league shortstop?" asked the other scout. "Yes, but he's still got a lot to learn. The ability's there. Will he perform to it? I don't know. I'm just not sure about the makeup. (Robinson) Cano was the same way when he was that age, and he grew up. It says a lot for Nunez that he batted third most of the season at Triple-A. He hit a lot of mistakes which he won't see that much of in the majors."

I knew the Yankees had high hopes for Nunez but this is somewhat surprising. However, with no real good SS options hitting the FA market any time soon, Nunez may be their best bet.

Better Know a Prospect: Eduardo Nunez

Eduardo Nunez
Born: 15 June 1987 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Bats/Throws: Right/Right
Height/Weight: 6'0"/150 pounds
Signed: 2004, amateur free agent

2010 Statistics
Scranton W-B (AAA) - .289/.340/.381, 25 2B, 3 3B, 4 HR, 23 SB
New York Yankees (MLB) - .286/.333/.429, 1 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 1 SB

For the first four years of Nunez's professional career, the only consistent aspect of Nunez's performance was his ability to frustrate or dazzle the team, without much in between. Defensively, Nunez displayed impressive range and a cannon arm, combined with questionable footwork and a propensity for simple miscues. For every highlight reel play he made, it seemed, he'd muff an easy grounder or overthrow the first baseman. Offensively, he has fantastic speed on the basepaths and a high-contact approach, yet poor baserunning instincts and a weak bat. Considering his youth and tools, however, there existed a fair amount of optimism in his future.

Over the past two years, Nunez has progressed considerably. In the field, scouts noted that his footwork improved a bit in 2009, and that he seemed to be focusing a bit more on positioning himself (though he remained an unpolished product). This year, he appears to have put it all together - he's making far fewer errors without sacrificing range, a conclusion supported by both scouts and defensive metrics. In fact, Baseball America named Nunez the best defensive shortstop in the International League, while also crediting him with the best infield arm.

At the plate, Nunez remains a bit too impatient, taking a walk in only 5.2% of his plate appearances. However, he's hitting more line drives and more ground balls (which allows him to maximize his speed), resulting in more hits. Further, he's been successful on 82.7% of his stolen base attempts this year, as compared to a career rate of 72.5%. While he's unlikely to ever be much with the bat, he should hit well enough to be a passable starter (assuming his defensive improvements are for real).

Nunez's time with the Yankees isn't substantial enough to draw many conclusions from - particularly as he's played most of his innings at third base (where he struggled in the minors). However, I'm encouraged by the fact that he's seeing more pitches at this level than ever before - a respectable walk rate would increase his value significantly.

In the end, Nunez's value for the Yankees is somewhat questionable. I see his ceiling as Omar Vizquel. That is, Omar Vizquel post-35. Think .270/.330/.360, 25 SB, and plus defense at short - an incredibly useful player, to be sure ... for the Yankees, however, I'm not so sure.

Today's Lineup, Nunez Up, Berkman to the DL

A lot of stuff going on this morning as the Yankees prepare for the series finale against the Tigers.

Eduardo Nunez has been called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He will be replacing Lance Berkman, who is headed to the DL with that bad ankle.

Alex Rodriguez may be able to pinch hit today, but the Yankees will wait until after batting practice to make that decision.

And here is today's lineup:

Brett Gardner LF
Derek Jeter SS
Mark Teixeira 1B
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher RF
Jorge Posada C
Curtis Granderson CF
Austin Kearns DH
Ramiro Pena 3B