ST. PETERSBURG – It looks like Matt DeSalvo is going to get another chance to prove to the Yankees he has what it takes to be a big league pitcher.
With the Yankees needing an additional starter for one of next Saturday’s two games against the Devil Rays at Yankee Stadium, it appears DeSalvo is going to get the nod.
“Right now Matty DeSalvo is pitching the best by far at Triple-A. If we have a need at the major league level, Matty DeSalvo is that need right now,” GM Brian Cashman said yesterday.
DeSalvo, a 26-year-old right-hander, was promoted from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and appeared in six games (five starts) from May 7 to May 28. He went 1-2 with a 5.87 ERA. He was spanked by the Blue Jays and White Sox in his final two outings and was sent out. In 21 innings he gave up 27 hits and issued 16 walks. Opposing batters hit .300 (9-for-30) against him with runners in scoring position.
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Since Kyle Farnsworth makes $5.25 million this year and $5.55 million next season, he won’t miss the $500 fine manager Joe Torre hit him with for being late for Thursday’s mandatory workout at Tropicana Field.
Farnsworth, the erratic set-up reliever, was at the park in plenty of time for the post All-Star workout but thought the activity was “early hitting”’ despite every other pitcher on the staff taking part in the exercise.
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Robinson Cano wasn’t in last night’s starting lineup because Torre didn’t like Cano’s inconsistent swings at the plate in Thursday night’s 7-3 win when he went 0-for-4. So, Torre sat Cano against Devil Rays lefty Scott Kazmir. However, Cano came off the bench and went 1-for-2 thanks to improved plate discipline.
Bobby Abreu didn’t start because Torre didn’t want Kazmir to put the red-hot Abreu in a mechanical funk. He also came off the bench to go 1-for-2. Abreu is on a 15-for-28 (.536) hot streak.
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A career .289 hitter, Johnny Damon couldn’t help noticing his .245 average when he stepped into the batter’s box last night against Kazmir.
“You hope that if you reel off a 4-for-4 game or a good week that you would get back to respectability,” Damon said before going 1-for-3 and upping the average a point. “But the number of at-bats [280] I have will make that tough. I am going to need something that has never been done before to get back to respectable.”
So, what Damon has done is forget about the big picture and concentrate on one at-bat at a time.
“I was talking to [hitting coach] Kevin Long and I said, ‘If I am going to hit .250 this year I have to make sure it’s productive,’ ” Damon said. “I have to make the players around me better. I have to fight off pitchers when I can and play to win.”
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Torre’s reaction to Ichiro Suzuki signing a five-year deal worth $90 million to stay in Seattle was expected.
“I am glad they are in that division and we are in this one,” Torre said of the Mariners. “He is a great player.”