A reporter had just asked Girardi, the Yankees’ manager, what concerned him the most about his team’s 5-2 loss to the Royals on Tuesday.
Was it the Yankees’ growing assortment of injuries? Was it the lineup, which is hitting a paltry .246 through eight games?
Or was it starter Phil Hughes, who struggled with his control and gave up three earned runs in only three innings?
“All the above,” Girardi cracked.
It’s true that so far this season, the Yankees don’t look like themselves. That much became clear almost immediately. Pick a moment. What about when right fielder Bobby Abreu committed an error in the second inning that eventually led to a Royals run? Or when Royals center fielder Joey Gathright got his third stolen base of the game, tying a career high?
But the most telling sign may have come when Yankees star third baseman Alex Rodriguez struck out for the fourth time in the game in the seventh inning. That was a rare sight, to be sure. It was only the fourth time in his career that Rodriguez struck out four times in one game — the last came against the Angels in 2006.
“I’ve never seen it, so it’s extremely unusual to me,” said Girardi, a former catcher. “I can tell you when I was behind the plate, it never happened.”
Royals pitcher Brian Bannister, who caught Rodriguez looking three times, said he pitched carefully against the reigning American League MVP.
“Really, all I tried to do today was not get into a pattern with him,” Bannister said.
“It just happened that I made three perfect pitches when I had to.”
But the Yankees’ on-field play Tuesday may be the least of their concerns, because after a relatively injury-free spring, injuries are starting to creep up on them.
Shortstop Derek Jeter is out because of a strained left quadriceps. First baseman Jason Giambi played Tuesday, but he is banged up because of a groin strain.
And to compound matters, catcher Jorge Posada left Tuesday’s game in the sixth inning because of shoulder trouble. By then the Royals led 5-2 and already had stolen four bases.
Girardi was unsure when Posada would return but said he won’t play in today’s game.
“I’m not 100 percent,” said Posada, who added that there’s no pain in the arm but it feels a little dead.
“I’m trying to get out there and I’m not helping the team out.”
Rodriguez, who said Bannister “made some great pitches,” admitted some frustration with the Yankees’ various ailments.
“We’re definitely wounded right now,” Rodriguez said. “Having such a great spring and being so healthy, it’s the most ironic thing to have two, three or four of our guys banged up.”
But again, it’s still early. They are 4-4, and they still have 154 games left to play.
This much, the Yankees know.
“We have a few major guys going through a few things,” right fielder Johnny Damon said. “But we’re the Yankees. We have great guys who can step in … so we’re OK.”
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