Granderson's Opening Day Status In Doubt For Yankees
NEW YORK (WFAN/AP) -- Yankees center fielder Curtis Granderson was scratched from the starting lineup for Tuesday game's against Baltimore because of a strained muscle on his right side, and there are growing concerns over his chances of playing on Opening Day.
"I won't sit here today and tell you he will be fine," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. "I can't tell you he will be ready,"
Granderson injured his oblique muscle on his last swing in batting practice, but did throw and run before being shutdown. He will be reevaluated Wednesday.
Cashman is hopeful it's a low-level concern.
"He felt something," Cashman said. "We'll get a better feel in the next few days. We'll take the cautious road. I know he's not really concerned from his end, but oblique's can be tricky. It's too early to tell. Try and be cautious and hope we'll have success."
Granderson was replaced by minor leaguer Melky Mesa.
Yankees outfielder Andruw Jones saw Granderson before he departed to meet team doctor Allen Miller.
"The way he talked, it's not that serious," Jones said. "He said, probably, will be two, three days, maybe. Hopefully he can come back and be ready for Opening Day."
Jones would start in left, with Brett Gardner shifting to center should Granderson miss Opening Day.
"Whatever happens, I'll be ready to take that chance and go out there and help the team win," Jones said.
Jones was signed during the offseason to be the fourth outfielder and play against left-handed pitching.
Also, Joba Chamberlain allowed a solo home and struck out two in one inning of Tuesday's 6-2 loss to the Orioles. It was the reliever's first outing since being sidelined by muscle soreness in his left upper body 10 days ago.
"Everything was good," Chamberlain said. "It wasn't anything I was concerned about. This is the best I've felt in spring training."
Chamberlain added that he is "1,000 percent" sure he'll be set to go when the regular season starts on March 31.
"The fact that he was able to throw 95 makes me feel pretty good," Yankee manager Joe Girardi said. "Now, I want to see how he feels tomorrow."
NOTES: Cashman said the Yankees have no interest at this time in LHP Oliver Perez, who was released by the New York Mets this week. "We always look at everything, but it's not something that makes sense for us based on everything we've seen," Cashman said. ... OF Greg Golson (ribs) went 1 for 2 and felt fine afterward.
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