BOSTON – The Yankees’ immediate future is in Gary Sheffield’s left hand.
Sheffield was Trenton’s designated hitter in New Britain last night in a Double-A game – going 1-for-3 with a sacrifice fly – and will be in the Yankees’ lineup tonight against the Red Sox if the hand doesn’t bother him this morning.
“I feel great and I am headed for Boston,” Sheffield said.
The Yankees will welcome one of baseball’s best run producers because they have gone 8-8 without him since he last played on May 5, falling from a first-place tie in the AL East to 2 ½ games behind the first-place Red Sox.
Everyone in the Yankees clubhouse after last night’s 9-5 loss to the Red Sox at Fenway Park insisted Sheffield would give the sagging club a lift. And even if his hand isn’t 100 percent, Sheffield will be better than what the Yanks have had in the No. 3 hole since he went on the disabled list.
Jason Giambi started strong in Sheffield’s spot (5-for-13; .385 with three homers and five RBIs), but since then, the production in the third hole hasn’t been good. Giambi and Alex Rodriguez, who hit third once, are 10-for-55 (.182) with three homers and six RBIs. None of the homers was hit after the fourth game without Sheffield, and Giambi’s sacrifice fly Sunday night was the first RBI since the fourth game.
As for Sheffield, he went from having to cut short a hitting session off a batting tee Friday to launching batting practice homers Sunday night to playing in New Britain last night.
Immediately, people speculated the Yankees had picked up Sheffield’s $13 million option for next year or he had found a Dr. Feelgood. But the Yankees haven’t picked up the option and the only needle Sheffield took was a week ago when he received an injection. On Sunday, the Yankees said it was cortisone, but last night Sheffield said it was an anti-inflammatory.
Yanks GM Brian Cashman was in New Britain to watch Sheffield hit and didn’t rule out having Sheffield back tonight. “There is a chance,” Cashman said.
Joe Torre agreed.
“The best case scenario is we get him back here comfortable and confident,” Torre said of Sheffield, who is batting .327 with four homers and 18 RBIs. “I am leaving that to him. I told him, ‘You tell me.’ We will deal with the timing later. The best case he comes here with a clear mind.”
Torre continued to shuffle his lineup last night. Acknowledging that the chipped bone in Johnny Damon’s right foot was causing severe discomfort, Torre used Damon as the DH and an outfield of Terrence Long in left, Bernie Williams in center and Melky Cabrera in right.