<
        >

          New York Yankees

          Notes: Kuroda to receive Pettitte treatment

          • Andrew Marchand, ESPN Senior WriterApr 2, 2014, 07:21 PM ET
            Close
              Andrew Marchand is a senior writer for ESPNNewYork. He also regularly contributes to SportsCenter, Baseball Tonight, ESPNews, ESPN New York 98.7 FM and ESPN Radio. He joined ESPN in 2007 after nine years at the New York Post. Follow Andrew on Twitter »
            Follow on X

          HOUSTON -- In 2013, Joe Girardi rarely let Andy Pettitte go more than 100 pitches. With 39-year-old Hiroki Kuroda coming off a season in which he faded late, Girardi said he will probably put Kuroda on a similar regimen.

          "That's probably a good comparison," Girardi said.

          Girardi said he thought Kuroda could give him six or seven innings tonight.

          Idle: Brendan Ryan (back) is still not doing much, so his return off the DL is not in sight.

          "He is not really doing any baseball activity," Girardi said.

          Infield in: So why did Joe Girardi bring the infield in with two strikes and no outs in the first inning? Well, Girardi said he noticed Jose Altuve had hit some weak ground balls and thought he could take advantage and cut a runner at the plate.

          Inner DiMaggio: We are always helpful at ESPN New York, so I suggested to Derek Jeter that he should do a reverse Joe DiMaggio if he gives a speech during tonight's retirement ceremony.

          "I want to thank the good Lord for not making me an Astro," I told Jeter he should say.

          The Astros, with the first pick overall, famously passed over Jeter in the 1992 draft, allowing the Yankees to pick him sixth. Jeter responded, "You said that, not me."