Wallace Matthews, ESPN Staff Writer 9y

Tough day all around for Yankees

TAMPA, Fla. -- Definition of a bad day at the ballyard: When the only two positive things that happen for the New York Yankees come courtesy of the struggling Stephen Drew and the comebacking Alex Rodriguez.

Neither of them are being depended upon to carry the ballclub's offense this season, but both were the offense Saturday, each contributing solo home runs in a 10-2 loss to the Baltimore Orioles. And oh yeah, Chasen Shreve, who has had a rough spring, pitched the only hitless inning of the game.

Other than that, it was one disturbing event after another. Didi Gregorius, signed to assume Derek Jeter's place at shortstop -- but no, not to replace him -- sprained his left wrist diving for a ball in the second inning and went to the hospital for X-rays. Starting pitcher Scott Baker, making his final bid for a roster spot, got bombed for five second-inning runs, including a three-run homer by Alejandro De Aza. Dellin Betances was less than lights-out again. And until Drew's home run in the fifth inning, the Yankees had been held to just Carlos Beltran's opposite-field single in the first inning. And across the street, CC Sabathia was getting lit up by a team of AAA kids.

Drew's home run, his second of the spring, made it a 6-1 ballgame. A-Rod's homer, a bomb to left-center in the seventh, made it 7-2. And that was basically it for the Yankees on this day.

Gregorius' X-rays came up negative, and he left Steinbrenner Field with a brace on his left wrist. Joe Girardi said he won't play again until Wednesday at the earliest. Rodriguez, who is nearing his 40th birthday and hasn't faced a real pitch in a real game since Sept. 2013, is the team's leading home run hitter this spring, with three. Drew, who had three hits and two RBI in Friday's rain-shortened 10-0 win over the Philadelphia Phillies, has raised his average to .244. Betances was happy that he finally struck out a batter, his first since March 11, following four appearances without fanning anyone (He thought it was 10). But he struggled with his control again and allowed a run for his fifth straight outing, raising his spring ERA to 7.11.

Girardi said he thought Betances' curveball looked better Saturday, but as an overall assessment of his spring, the manager acknowledged, "It's not what you want, but one thing you always talk about a lot is don't judge people on spring training, right? Sometimes a different beast comes out Opening Day. If this was happening the first month, you'd say, OK, what's going on? But I thought he was better today, and I think when the season starts, he'll be right.”

Girardi hopes the same for Gregorius, who stayed in the game after rolling his wrist diving after Evereth Cabrera's second-inning single but came out when he felt pain on a checked swing in the third. For the next couple of games, it will be Drew at second and Brendan Ryan at short, assuming Gregorius' absence will be a brief one.

If not? "Well, then obviously you'd add an infielder and decide what to do," Girardi said.

Gregorius admitted he was worried that the injury was a bad one when it first happened.

"If you see the video I was almost rolled completely over it, I had to roll with it," he said. "Otherwise I think it would have snapped or something, but it was fine after that. Actually it feels good now. So however many days they tell me, I'll take that."

From what Girardi said, or didn't say, it seem obvious that Baker's last appearance was his last shot to make this club, at least for now.

"It's something we got to talk about," he said when asked if Saturday's outing hurt his chances. "We've got some decisions to make."

Rodriguez, who is now hitting .306, said he is looking forward to his first game at any level at first base, which comes Sunday afternoon against the Houston Astros in Kissimmee. He spent the morning practicing turning the 3-6-3 double play with infield coach Joe Espada.

"I'm excited. It should be fun,” he said, adding, "I hope I don't do anything for you guys to make fun of me."

Nobody was making fun of A-Rod on Saturday, or of Drew, who now shares the team lead in RBIs (seven) with Ramon Flores.

On a day in which nearly all the news was bad, they provided at least two small reasons to hope.

More Ellsbury progress: Jacoby Ellsbury (oblique strain) took batting practice on the field for the first time in nearly two weeks -- he hasn't played since March 15 -- and Girardi said all went very well. Ellsbury is on track to return to game action in a minor-league tiff Tuesday.

Call me Esmil. In the bullpen: Esmil Rogers is on the travel roster for Sunday's game against the Astros, but as one of the relievers to follow starter Nathan Eovaldi. Even though Girardi is still not ready to officially anoint Adam Warren his No. 5 starter, that's a pretty good indication of where Rogers will start the season.

Back-to-back Betances: Girardi wants Betances to throw back-to-back for the second time this spring but is not dragging him to Kissimmee with the rest of the crew. Instead, Betances will pitch an inning in a minor-league game here. Bryan Mitchell will make the start.

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