ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Initially, Mark Teixeira believed he had a chance to play tomorrow when the Yankees open a four-game series against the Orioles in Baltimore.
Nevertheless, it appears that won’t happen.
“I was hoping Thursday a couple of days ago, but I would like to be back sometime during the weekend,’’ said Teixeira, who has been out since Aug. 27 with a strained left calf.
Teixeira, who leads the Yankees in RBIs with 81, took batting practice on the field Tuesday for the second straight day and ran lightly on the treadmill. He will repeat those exercises today but won’t know about the calf until he runs hard on the field.
“I did some light jogging. That’s not a real test,’’ Teixeira said before the Yankees’ 5-2 loss to the Rays Tuesday night at Tropicana Field. “We will know when I really run. That’s most likely Thursday in Baltimore.’’
Teixeira said he is encouraged that the pain has subsided but a “little tightness and soreness’’ remains.
“Possibly Thursday, but more like the weekend,’’ manager Joe Girardi said of Teixeira’s return.
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Two runs, six hits and hitless in five at-bats with runners in scoring position isn’t good, but neither was Freddy Garcia.
Garcia (7-6) gave up five runs and five hits (three homers), walked four and fanned five in 5 1/3 innings. In his last three starts Garcia is 0-1 with a 7.54 ERA. In 14 ¹/₃ innings he has given up 15 hits and walked 10.
The worse news is the Yankees don’t have anybody to replace the veteran right-hander in the rotation. Ivan Nova and Andy Pettitte aren’t ready to come off the disabled list.
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Robinson Cano hit a two-run homer in the first inning as the designated hitter because of a left hip injury he suffered chasing a ground ball Monday.
Asked if he would play second base tonight, Cano said, “I will try and take ground balls before the game and see how I feel.’’
Cano’s homer was his 29th and tied a career high set in 2010.
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Nova threw batting practice to Chris Dickerson and Eduardo Nunez and didn’t appear to be bothered by the inflammation in the right rotator cuff that landed him on DL.
“It was pretty good,’’ said Nova, who has been out since Aug. 22. “We will see how it feels [today].’’
Nova threw with pitching coach Larry Rothschild and Girardi watching.
“We have to make sure he is OK before deciding what’s next,’’ Girardi said.
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Alex Rodriguez played third base in his second game back from the DL, and he went 1-for-4. In two games he is 2-for-8 with two singles.
“Anytime you are out for a length of time it takes a while to get going,’’ hitting coach Kevin Long said of Rodriguez, who missed six weeks with a fractured left hand. “His at-bats are getting better and he seems better with two strikes.’’
Pettitte is scheduled to throw batting practice today in the next step to what the Yankees are hoping will be an eventual return to the rotation.
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Unless a special need arises, don’t expect Eduardo Nunez to play anyplace but short.
“If he plays, he will play shortstop unless there is a need,’’ Girardi said.
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Girardi didn’t start the slumping Ichiro Suzuki Tuesday night against right-hander Alex Cobb. Ichiro pinch hit for Chris Stewart and struck out.
“He needed a day, he has been going hard and is a little beat up,’’ Girardi said of the outfielder who is in a 4-for-26 (.154) slide and struck out as a pinch-hitter in the eighth.
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The Yankees have been held to six or fewer hits in the previous five games. That is the longest stretch since they were held to six or fewer in four straight games from July 7-10, 1992.
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Infielder Casey McGehee was recalled from Single-A Charleston. … The Yankees have lost 11 of 12 at Tropicana Field.