YANKEE NOTES
ARLINGTON – Roger Clemens was slated to throw in the left field bullpen here at The Ballpark yesterday afternoon. After he was done, Mel Stottlemyre and Joe Torre were going to decide what the next step for the right-hander would be.
Out since July 12 with a strained right groin, Clemens could either be activated and start Thursday night against the Angels in Anaheim or make a second rehab start to make sure there is no problem with the groin. Clemens threw 92 pitches in five innings Saturday night for Tampa (Single-A).
“I am not sure what we are going to do,” Stottlemyre said before the bullpen session. “I am open-minded. I want to see how he throws and go from there. I don’t have a specific date. Thursday would be his normal day. I will wait to see what I see.”
One thing Torre and Stottlemyre were 100 percent sure on was this: if Clemens didn’t need another rehab outing, he was going to be part of the Yankees’ rotation even if that meant six arms for five spots.
“If he is ready to go we will make a spot for him,” Stottlemyre said of the Hall of Fame lock who turns 40 Sunday.
With David Wells, Andy Pettitte and Mike Mussina and Clemens firmly entrenched as starters; Torre’s decision as to who goes to the pen will be between Orlando Hernandez and Jeff Weaver.
El Duque, who started last night, was coming off a decent outing against the Red Sox on July 20 when he gave up three earned runs in seven innings.
Since Weaver, who is the scheduled starter Thursday, is 1-1 with an 8.00 ERA and has allowed nine homers and 34 hits in 27 innings during four Yankee starts, he is the likely choice to be dropped from the rotation.
Both Weaver and Hernandez have limited bullpen experience. Of Weaver’s 115 big league games, only two have been in relief. Counting last night, El Duque has started 110 of the 112 big league games he has appeared in.
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Nick Johnson has closed his stance considerably in the past week in an effort to stay on the ball longer and it has paid off since he was batting .409 (9-for-22) in the last seven games.
“I have been working with [hitting coach] Rick [Down] on staying back and it has helped,” Johnson said. “Before I was flying open too much. This has allowed me to stay back on the ball.”
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Mariano Rivera was slated to play catch in Tampa yesterday to test a strained muscle in his right shoulder.
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Wells (11-5; 3.65 ERA) faces RHP Aaron Myette (0-2; 9.39) tonight. Mussina (13-4; 4.47) draws RHP Rob Bell (3-3; 6.15) tomorrow night in the finale of the three-game series.