BALTIMORE – Jason Giambi told Johnny Damon that he is ready to come off the disabled list but don’t look for him in The Bronx tomorrow night.
Damon spoke to his friend after Giambi went 1-for-5 with a double in two Single-A games Saturday night for Tampa (Single-A) in Fort Myers, Fla. Tampa was off yesterday and is at Sarasota tonight.
“He said he felt good and that he was ready to come back,” Damon said of his pal who has been sidelined since May 30 because of plantar fasciitis in the left foot.
During yesterday’s 10-6 win at Camden Yards, the GM Brian Cashman sent word to public relations man Jason Zillo that Giambi would remain in Tampa and play.
When Giambi said last week he would require two games to be ready for big-league pitching after two months away, the Yankees didn’t rush to agree with Giambi.
Joe Torre and Cashman agreed Giambi was rushing a bit.”I don’t know who was communicating with Jason,” Torre said Thursday.
Though the Yankees certainly could use Giambi’s power in the lineup, his return would cut into somebody’s at-bats. More than likely it would affect Damon, who has been used almost exclusively as the DH. And though Damon isn’t having the year many expected, he has been effective working counts as a leadoff hitter. Damon had one of his better games of the year yesterday, going 3-for-5 with two RBIs.
Tampa managaer Luis Sojo said he’s happy with Giambi’s progress.
“He looked good,” Sojo said of Giambi. “He was very aggressive swinging the bat and hit the ball hard.”
In 45 games with Yankees, Giambi is batting .262 with seven homers and 23 RBIs.
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Torre removed Derek Jeter in the eighth inning yesterday because Jeter had jammed his left shoulder with a head-first slide into home in the second inning when he was called out.
“I am fine,” Jeter said. “I jammed it a bit. It’s not an issue.”
Jeter passed Babe Ruth into fifth place on the all-time Yankee at-bat list with a double in the seventh. It was Jeter’s 7,218 at-bat in pinstripes.
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Torre didn’t give any definitive information on whether stud prospect Joba Chamberlain would be promoted from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (Triple-A) to work out of the bullpen.
“That is certainly something that will be looked at,” Torre said. “As far as what date that would happen, we don’t have one of those.”
Chamberlain, a 2006 draft pick, was slated to start for SWB today but instead will throw an inning or relief. After resting tomorrow, Chamberlain will throw another inning out of the bullpen Wednesday for SWB. Based on that schedule, the earliest Chamberlain could pitch in The Bronx is Friday.
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Phil Hughes made a rehab start for SWB yesterday against Rochester and didn’t allow a run in 6⅔ innings. Hughes, who threw 91 pitches, allowed three hits, three walks and fanned four.
Though Torre refused to confirm Hughes will return from the DL and start Saturday against the Royals at Yankee Stadium, he did say, “I certainly can’t dispute that.”
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The Yankees open a three-game series against the White Sox tomorrow night at Yankee Stadium. RHP Mike Mussina (5-7; 4.77 ERA) faces RHP Jose Contreras (5-13; 6.22) if the former Yankee hasn’t been dealt before the 4 p.m. trade deadline. LHP Andy Pettitte (6-7; 4.11) draws LHP John Danks (6-7; 4.83) Wednesday night and RHP Roger Clemens (3-5; 3.92) opposes RHP Jon Garland (7-7; 4.15) Thursday.