YANKEE NOTES
TAMPA – Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez’ right forearm has progressed to the point where he plans to test it in the bullpen Saturday. However, the discomfort that forced him out of a game last Friday hasn’t completely subsided.
“There is a little pain,” El Duque said. “But it’s better than when it happened.”
Yankee manager Joe Torre said if El Duque comes through the bullpen session without a setback, the right-hander could pitch in a game early next week.
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While Yanks won’t officially comment on their interest in Ruben Rivera because of MLB’s policy against talking about the waiver procedure, they will actively go after the righty-hitting outfielder who was placed on waivers by the Padres yesterday. The move means the Padres have to pay Rivera $168,000 instead of $1 million.
Rivera, 27, was sent to the Padres in the 1997 deal that brought Hideki Irabu to the Yankees. But he never fulfilled his potential, hitting .204 as a Padre. Rivera did hit .23 homers in 1999 but only batted .195.
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Christian Parker has muscled his way into contention for the No. 5 starter spot, or a bullpen slot, after taking advantage of El Duque’s injury and the unimpressive outings by Randy Keisler and Adrian “El Duquecito” Hernandez.
Parker, a right-hander who was the third pitcher to come from Montreal in the Irabu trade, pitched three scoreless innings in last night’s 6-5 win over the Rangers at Legends Field. Parker fanned four, including Alex Rodriguez in the first inning. He gave up one hit.
“It will be something special,” Parker said of the possibility of being the No. 5 starter.
Said Torre: “He made us want to see him again.”
Parker, 25, pitched at Norwich (Double-A) last year and was 14-6 with a 3.13 ERA. He led the Eastern League with 204 innings.
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Cuban defector Andy Morales made his Yankee debut, entering the game at third in the sixth inning. Morales won the game in the home ninth with two-run double. … Alfonso Soriano continued to make it look easy, going 2-for-3 with a homer and two RBIs.
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Keisler and El Duquecito have failed to impress anybody in their fight for the No. 5 starter’s spot. However, neither has fallen completely out of the hunt.
El Duquecito is to start Friday against the Braves in Orlando and Keisler is scheduled to pitch in a minor-league, intrasquad game. But don’t read into that that El Duquecito has a leg up on Keisler.
Torre set it up this way because they each pitched Sunday in different stadiums and Torre and his staff were at Legends Field to watch Keisler while El Duquecito was in Dunedin.
“Maybe I shouldn’t see it, maybe he will relax a bit,” Torre said of Keisler, who has put a tremendous amount of pressure on himself this spring.
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Sid Fernandez , who has struggled his last two times out, is to start Saturday against the Blue Jays at cozy Grant Field in Dunedin.