As the New York Yankees head from Chicago to Cincinnati, where they begin a three-game series with the Reds on Monday night, let's cruise around the Inter-Google for some Yankees notes of interest.
New York Yankees' Phil Hughes hits 95 mph in first rehab start - ESPN New York
The winning lotto number for the New York Yankees on Sunday was 95.
As in miles per hour.
That's how fast starter Phil Hughes threw his highly-scrutinized fastball in his first rehab start.
The 24-year-old righty threw 61 pitches, 41 for strikes in a 4 1/3-inning start for the Staten Island Yankees. He struck out seven Cyclones -- four on crippling breaking balls -- and walked one. He gave up three hits overall. The third was a solo homer over the left field wall at MCU Park on his last pitch thrown.
"The main thing right now is that my arm feels good and right now it does," Hughes said. "I'm overall happy with the way things went."
This was encouraging news. The Yankees are getting by with a makeshift bottom of their starting rotation, but that likely can't last forever. They need Hughes to pitch the second half of this season like he did in the first half of 2010, and long-term they need him to be a front of the rotation guy.
Yankees' Rodriguez Downplays Sore Left Shoulder - NYTimes.com
CHICAGO (AP) — Alex Rodriguez has a sore left shoulder. How sore is hard to tell.
Rodriguez downplayed an ESPNNewYork.com story Sunday night that said the Yankees slugger is playing with strained shoulder. The website, citing an unidentified clubhouse source, reports the All-Star third baseman has been dealing with the injury for several weeks.
"You go through regular bumps and bruises in a long season," he said. "I think that's just another small example of it. But for the most part, I feel pretty good."
Rodriguez had three hits and scored three times during New York's 10-4 victory at the Chicago Cubs on Sunday night. He is batting .289 with 13 homers and 43 RBIs in 66 games this season.
He said he has been getting treatment on his shoulder for about 10 days, but called it "nothing out of the ordinary."
You wonder how much the shoulder has affected his play. His numbers are solid but not spectacular, especially considering he started the season looking like he was headed for a monster year. Of course A-Rod downplayed the shoulder issue, but the fact that his manager mentioned it tells you there is something there.
Girardi makes trip to visit with ailing father | yankees.com: News
CHICAGO -- Joe Girardi used to sit in the seats at Wrigley Field with his father, Jerry, dreaming of putting on the pinstriped blue of the Chicago Cubs and racing around the field below them.
Girardi's father was there to see his dreams come to fruition, and his son is there for him as he battles the advances stages of Alzheimer's disease.
The Yankees manager made a four-hour round-trip drive to spend part of his Father's Day morning with his dad, who resides in an assisted care facility outside Girardi's hometown of Peoria, Ill.