Brett Gardner had another impressive day, going 2-3 with a two-run homer, his third of Spring, and Andy Pettite was good in his first Spring stint, going 1 2/3 IP allowing just a hit and a walk while striking out two. But Ian Kennedy struggled, allowing five runs and five hits in 2 2/3 IP as the Yanks lost to Toronto 6-2. Four of the five hits Kennedy surrendered were for extra bases–three doubled and a long homer to Travis “Duke” Snider. Teixeira went 2-3, Berroa had a double, and Melky, Curtis, and Bernier each added singles. But Melky had another gaffe today, getting caught between first and second, resulting in Gardner’s being thrown out at the plate.
The Yanks go tomorrow tonight against Cincy, with Joba looking to improve upon his rough Spring.
A-Rod’s surgery apparently went smoothly, and his doctor confirmed the necessity of the procedure. Pete Abraham has a fascinating bit of information on A-Rod’s rehab. A hint: it starts today–literally.
[B]efore the end of the day the rehab protocol calls for him to ride an exercise bike. He’ll do range of motion exercises through the weekend before they get to muscle-memory exercises. Dr.Philippon said there was “no doubt” they made the right choice.
It’s amazing, but in a way doesn’t surprise me. I know a couple people who had open-heart surgery who were up and walking within 8-10 hours. That seems to be medical protocol now more often than not, getting people moving to facilitate the healing process right away. Abraham speculates that A-Rod will return closer to six weeks than the back-end of the nine-week parameter. We’ll see. I just want him back as close to 100% as possible, and will wait an extra couple weeks if necessary.
Mariano also threw an impressive bullpen session as he works slowly into his Spring Training groove and back from shoulder surgery.
