The Yankees have been one of the biggest surprises in baseball this season, not because they’re winning, but because they’re winning with spare parts. The Bronx Bombers have been without many of their stars, including Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira and Curtis Granderson, yet they’ve clawed their way to the top of the American League East.

Those setbacks, while major, pale in comparison to Pettitte’s injury, though.

The Yankees find themselves in first place largely because of their starting pitching, and Pettitte has been a big part of that. The overall numbers — 4-3 record, 3.83 ERA, 1.30 WHIP — aren’t eye-popping, but Pettitte has been very consistent with the exception of one outing. The lefty gave up seven earned runs on 10 hits over 4 1/3 innings against the Astros on April 29, but he’s allowed three runs or fewer in each of his other seven starts.

Simply put, Pettitte gives the Yankees a chance to win when he takes the mound, and now New York will be forced to rely on 25-year-old rookie Vidal Nuno. Nuno’s first major league start on Monday went well — he tossed five shutout innings and got the win — but replacing a proven veteran presence like Pettitte is no easy task, especially when Phil Hughes’ recent struggles leave questions about where his season is headed.

CC Sabathia and Hiroki Kuroda will need to continue anchoring the Yankees’ rotation in Pettitte’s absence, while the rest of the staff picks up the slack. David Phelps turned in another solid performance on Saturday, allowing just one earned run over seven innings, and he’ll need to continue pitching well for as long as Pettitte is sidelined — which the Yankees are optimistic won’t be long.

But even if Pettitte’s trip to the 15-day DL is precautionary, it still highlights just how thin of a tightrope the Yankees are walking. Ivan Nova could return before long, although he was hardly effective in his four starts before going down. And perhaps Michael Pineda, who hasn’t pitched in a Yankees uniform since being acquired prior to last season, will return and showcase his natural talent at some point this summer. Neither of those scenarios are a sure thing, though, so the Yankees should proceed with the mindset that any contribution from those two hurlers is an added bonus.

Will Pettitte’s recent injury kill the Yankees’ season? Probably not, especially if he only misses a couple of starts. However, if the injury bug sticks around and starts chomping away at him and the rest of the rotation, it could become awfully difficult for the Yankees to continue motoring along atop the division.

The Yankees have survived some big blows to their offense, but they simply cannot afford injuries to their rotation.

Have a question for Ricky Doyle? Send it to him via Twitter at @TheRickyDoyle or send it here.

The Bluth’s Banana Stand from cult classic television show Arrested Development has been on tour over the past few days, and its most recent stop found it just outside The House That Ruth Built. The publicity stunt is in promotion of the show’s triumphant return to television (technically Netflix) coming up on May 26.

Fans who yell “There’s always money in the banana stand,” in reference to a catchphrase from the show, are eligible to win tickets to an upcoming Yankee game. Of course, that’s if they make sure Mr. Bananagrabber doesn’t get them first…

Photo via Twitter/@Yankees

The British royal was in New York on Tuesday as part of his trip around the United States, and he capped off a day that included a stop on the Jersey shore and a ride on a double-decker bus through Manhattan with a little modern rounders action. Harry and Teixeira, who has been out of pinstripes for the Yankees this season after landing himself on the disabled list with a wrist injury from hitting off a tee, got their hacks in at the Harlem RBI field.

It’s not the first sporting event Harry has attended on his visit — he checked out some American football and cheerleading the other day.

Harry didn’t seem to have trouble adjusting to America’s game of bats and balls.

“Great swing,” Teixeira said, according to USA Today. “Three for three. For a guy who’s never played baseball before, to hit three line drives in a row, that’s pretty impressive.”

Also impressive — and something Teixeira didn’t include in that quote — was that Harry’s third poke was a home run (or, as The Telegraph notes, “The Prince, 28, managed to hit a home run with only the third delivery pitched at him”).

Now, if only Harry could teach Teixeira how to hit off a tee.

Click here for photos of Prince Harry playing baseball >>

Needless to say, the Mantle family isn’t happy one bit.

The family hired Bracewell & Giuliani LLP and issued a statement regarding the alleged altered lumber, which can be seen below, thanks to Finance.Yahoo.com.

“Our Dad loved, revered and dedicated his whole life and professional career to the game of baseball. He persevered through devastating injuries to play 18 seasons for the New York Yankees and won seven World Series and many awards. The legacy of our Dad’s professionalism, perseverance and integrity has endured for more than 43 years since his retirement from baseball and is a testament to his status as an icon in American sports and culture.

“Recently, an on-line sports memorabilia marketer promoted an outrageously false, misleading and deceptive claim, apparently for a quick buck and publicity, that it was selling at auction a first-of-a-kind baseball bat: a ‘Mantle-corked gamer’ and a ‘corked bat of Mantle.’ The claim has spread throughout the Internet, and news media outlets nationwide have repeated and republished the marketer’s false claims, baseless implications, and purported statements of the marketer’s so-called authenticator.

“We no longer can remain silent. The statements and suggestions that Dad used a corked bat more than 49 years ago to cheat at the game he worshiped are false. Let us be clear: Dad didn’t need and never used a corked bat. Mickey Mantle was honest about the way he played the game that he loved and to which he devoted his professional life. He was one of the best who ever played the game because of his natural talents and abilities – and his heart. Our Dad’s legacy must be protected and the injury to his reputation must be corrected – he does not deserve to be the subject of these outrageous fabrications.

“We are taking a stand for our Dad and our family, including his four grandchildren, for Mickey Mantle fans and baseball fans everywhere, for the game of baseball that Dad loved so dearly, for the honor of the New York Yankees, the team he gave his heart and soul to for almost two decades, and for all of the other players who, as Dad did, have played and are playing the game the right way.

“This all stops now. No effort will be spared to preserve Mickey Mantle’s well-deserved legacy for honesty, fairness and supreme effort in the face of physical adversity that most players would not have been able to overcome. We love and are proud of our Dad. Because he can no longer defend himself, we will do it for him.”

The two Yankees relievers got into a spat on Saturday night when Rivera shushed Chamberlain while Rivera was speaking with reporters and Chamberlain was talking with his family. Chamberlain confronted the closer about it in front of fans and the media in New York’s dugout.

The two got over their differences, though, and the Yankees’ public relations department tweeted a photo of the two hugging along with a Tommy Boy quote.

Brothers don't shake hands, brothers gotta hug http://t.co/tEQqpkrQ2S

—
Yankees PR Dept. (@YankeesPR) May 12, 2013

Before the Yankees’ game on Saturday against the Royals, Joba Chamberlain and Mariano Rivera shared a tense moment in front of fans and the media, according to the New York Daily News. Chamberlain was talking loudly with fans while Rivera was trying to speak to the media when the legendary closer shouted, ““Joba! Yo! Bro! Shhh. Stop it.”

Chamberlain did not handle being shushed well. The Yankees reliever was apparently speaking to his family at the time.

“Don’t ever shush me again,” Chamberlain said. “Seriously. Don’t ever shush me again. I don’t get to see my family very often. You [speak to the media] every day. I don’t get to see my family every day.”

Rivera responded with a smile, according to the New York Daily News.

“I didn’t say not to talk to your family,” Rivera said. “That’s all right. You can talk to your family any time you want.”

Neither party had much to say about the incident after the game. All Chamberlain had to offer was “I’m not talking about it. That’s between me and Mo.” Chamberlain and Rivera confirmed they had not spoken since the verbal altercation.

“It’s amazing,” Rivera said. “We’ll take care of it. We’re grownups and I know better than that. We’ll take care of that.”

The spat didn’t affect Rivera on the mound. The closer picked up his 14th save of the season during the 3-2 Yankees win. Mo allowed just one hit and no runs during the outing, lowering his season ERA to 1.76. Chamberlain has a 3.86 ERA and 1.71 WHIP in 10 outings this season.

Photo of the Day

Iman Shumpert‘s hair is majestic.

Tweet of the Day

My mom stalks me on Twitter, too.

Happy Mother's Day, mom! Now stop stalking me on Twitter you weirdo

—
Nate Ravitz (@NateRavitz) May 12, 2013

Video of the Day

TMZ is the worst.

Rivera’s torn ACL occurred at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City last year when the legendary closer was shagging fly balls. The Yankees returned to KC on Friday and New York bullpen coach Mike Harkey had some fun by drawing a Rivera-shaped chalk outline on the warning track. A sign was also posted reading “NO ‘MO’ ZONE.”

Rivera laughed and posed next to the chalk outline, but quickly ran off. Rivera has continued to shag fly balls this season. He’s returned to his usual dominance in his return, collecting a 1.88 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 13 saves and 12 strikeouts in 14 1/3 innings.

Check out Rivera goofing around at the site of his injury in the video below.

Well, this 18-month-old girl got that question wrong, but she got most of the other ones right when her Yankees-loving parents decided to show off her pinstripe skills. With an indoctrination method that can only be loathed outside of the greater Tri-State area, the parents have apparently been using the first 18 months of their daughter’s life to fill her brain with the names and numbers of all the Yankees greats.

She needed some help at one point, when she kept thinking Mickey Mantle wore No. 4, but once her parents gave her the right clues, she just started rolling.

Check out the 18-month-old’s amazing Yankee knowledge in the video below, and ask yourself this: What are you teaching your children?

He joined a group of injured New York Yankees starters Monday at the team’s minor league complex. The 37-year-old third baseman ran, played catch and hit off a tee.

Rodriguez said it’s “like being 8 years old again when I first grabbed a bat.” He added it’s “pretty exciting” and he’s “really looking forward to getting back.”

Rodriguez had surgery Jan. 16 and could return to the Yankees after the All-Star break. A surgeon repaired a torn labrum and impingement in the operation in New York.

“It feels good to be back out in uniform,” Rodriguez said. “It’s been a rough stretch with the rehab, obviously. It’s small bites at a time.”

Rodriguez is currently taking part in a 30-day rehab schedule setup by his doctors and team officials.

“We’re taking it four weeks at a time,” Rodriguez said. “Today is one of 30.”

The upbeat A-Rod signed autographs and took photos with around 40 fans waiting for him outside the player’s parking lot. Fans driving by stopped their car near the complex driveway and jumped out to have photos taken.

“I have a lot of unfinished business,” said Rodriguez, who struggled offensively late last season. “I’m really looking forward to getting back on the field close to 100 percent and being who I am.”

Outfielder Curtis Granderson (broken right forearm), first baseman Mark Teixeira (right wrist), corner infielder Kevin Youkilis (lumbar spine sprain), and catcher Francisco Cervelli (broken hand) are also rehabbing injuries in Florida.

“It’s great seeing him,” Teixeira said. “He’s just happy to be back, doing some baseball activities. He’s got a big smile on his face right now, which is great.”

Shortstop Derek Jeter is also on the disabled list with a broken ankle and is not expected back until after the All-Star break.

“We always talk about injuries are a part of the game, but this is crazy” Rodriguez said. “I’ve never seen anything like it. But I’ve got to tell you, the way those guys are playing up there, the job the front office has done putting these guys together at the last minute, hats off to everyone.”

The Miami New Times reported this year that Rodriguez bought human growth hormone and other performance-enhancing substances in recent years from Biogenesis of America LLC, a now-closed clinic in Coral Cables, near the three-time AL MVP’s offseason home.

Rodriguez has denied the allegations.

“I can only control what I can control,” Rodriguez said. “I’m really focusing on all the great things that have happened in the game. I’m really focused on getting healthy, and just getting back and helping the Yankees win a championship.”

A 14-time All-Star, Rodriguez had right hip surgery on March 9, 2009, and returned that May 8. He is due $114 million over the next five years as part of his $275 million, 10-year contract.

Jeter found out he fractured his left ankle for a second time in six months on April 18. At that time the Yankees said the team captain should be able to resume his rehabilitation when the new crack heals in about four to eight weeks.

Out since injuring his wrist with the U.S. on March 5 before the World Baseball Classic, Teixeira took batting practice in an indoor cage and hopes to start on-field BP in the next few days.

“I’m very, very happy with where I am right now,” Teixeira said.

Granderson, who broke the arm Feb. 24 in his first at-bat of spring training when he was hit by a pitch from Toronto’s J.A. Happ, is playing in extended spring training games and expected to rejoin the team this month.

Youkilis is eligible to come off the 15-day disabled list on May 13. Cervelli broken his hand April 26 and is expected to miss at least six weeks.

The rivalry still stands, even if the teams rarely play each other anymore, so it’s perplexing why CC Sabathia would think it’s a good idea to wear a Dodgers hat to Game 7 of the Bulls-Nets playoff series — even if it is a Brooklyn Dodgers hat. It’s odd in general for a baseball player to wear the hat of an opposing major league team.

The Yankees and Dodgers have faced off in the World Series 11 times, the most of any pair of teams from the American and National Leagues.

Check out Sabathia’s fashion choice in the photo below.

Photo via Twitter/@ClubhouseCancer

According to its website, once Grey Flannel Auctions obtained the bat, it noticed a .75-inch circular marking on the end. It turned the bat over to John Taube of PSA/DNA, a sports memorabilia authenticator, who put the bat through an X-Ray machine.

The X-Ray confirmed that the bat had indeed been drilled into and filled with cork.

The auction site claims that it is the first confirmed corked bat of Mantle’s known to exist, which would obviously make it quite a desirable item. Suffice to say the bidding will likely get pricey, but if you’re so inclined to join in when the auction goes live on May 20, you can visit the item’s page at Grey Flannel Auctions by clicking here.

Check out an image of the bat, with an inset of the X-Ray, below.

Photo via Twitter/@darrenrovell

Thumbnail photo via Facebook/Mickey Mantle

Ichiro Suzuki

A massive place to keep his snacks is just one of the perks Suzuki has going for him in his new digs at 111 Central Park North. The kitchen reportedly includes two fridges, two dishwashers and a six-burner stove, and the snazzy apartment — which has clear views of Central Park and Midtown — has 100 feet of terraces for those looking to poke their heads outside, according to the New York Post.

At 5,400 square feet altogether, the six-bedroom, 6 1/2-bathroom condo even has room for some teammates to come over and stay the night.

The apartment is going for $9 million, but Suzuki is renting it for $23,500 a month right now. A 10-minute drive from Yankee Stadium with private parking, the apartment reportedly got visits from both Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez when they were looking for new places. The 17th-floor pad has hardwood floors and walk-in closets.

It looks like this may be just the place for Suzuki to kick up his feet while playing in the Bronx on his two-year, $13 million deal with the Yankees.

Click here to see photos of Suzuki’s apartment >>

According to Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, Rodriguez has been cleared for baseball activity, and will report to the Yankees’ complex in Tampa, Fla., to continue his rehab in extended spring training. Rodriguez had surgery on his left hip in January to repair a torn labrum.

Rodriguez’s initial prognosis was a six-month recovery time. He’s still on track to return to the Yankees some time after the All-Star break.

“They are now working out a baseball protocol for him,” Cashman said, according to ESPN. “Every conversation we have had with the physical therapist is that he is exactly where he needs to be. He is on time. He is working hard. I’ve never heard anything about he is ahead of schedule.”

Rodriguez is concurrently being investigated by Major League Baseball for connections to the now-closed Biogenesis clinic in Miami. Records obtained from the anti-aging clinic implicate it with the distribution of performance-enhancing drugs, which Rodriguez has previously admitted using from 2001 to 2003 while with the Texas Rangers.

Derek Jeter

Jeter broke his ankle in Game 1 of the ALCS, while Ortiz’s 2012 campaign was derailed in August by an Achilles injury. Adding to Ortiz’s situation was free agency, which the Red Sox ultimately settled by inking the slugger to a two-year pact. It was a weird time to be a fan of either the Yankees or the Red Sox, as two of the most prominent players in the rivalry’s fierce history faced the possibility of missing Opening Day.

There’s no direct link between the two injuries, but the plot twist we’ve seen over the past couple of months has been an interesting side note in each team’s year to date. Each player took a different approach in his rehab, and it’s led to incredibly different results.

Now, Ortiz is back and looks to be in midseason form for the red-hot Red Sox, while Jeter will be out until after the All-Star break.

Jeter had his sights set on Opening Day, while Ortiz seemed to have more of a “when I’m ready, I’m ready” approach to the whole situation. It’s hard to fault either player for how he handled the offseason and spring training, but we’re seeing now that Ortiz’s stance — while perhaps less admirable in the eyes of many — was more beneficial.

Jeter — or anyone in the Yankees organization — will never admit that his recent setback was the result of pushing too hard during spring training, but given the competitive fire that burns inside the shortstop, it’s realistic to think he may have been his own worst enemy during the whole process. Jeter came out and said publicly during his rehab that being ready for Opening Day was his goal, and he might have went a little over the top just to make good on his word, thus leading to the current situation.

While that’s purely speculation, Jeter’s teammate, Mariano Rivera, recently discussed his own personal rehab experience. Since the two Yankees greats are seemingly cut from the same competitive cloth, Rivera’s comments might reveal something about how hard Jeter was going in order to start the season on time.

“Sometimes we push a little bit harder than what we need to push,” Rivera said last week. “But that’s our nature. We want to help the team as much as we can. But this time he has to be selfish.”

No one is going to label Jeter selfish, regardless of the approach he takes when battling back from an injury. He needs to be more forward-looking, though, as his strong push to be ready for Opening Day — while done with the best intentions — has elongated the Yankees’ current pickle.

Ortiz, who was brought along slowly, eventually beat the timetable that many set for his return. Rather than being out until May, Ortiz missed just 15 games to start the season, and he’s now back to mashing baseballs all over Fenway Park.

It’s understandable that players want to be ready for Opening Day. It marks a fresh start, which is something every injured player longs for. But getting overly aggressive in an attempt to reach a specific date typically ends up complicating matters in the long run.

Have a question for Ricky Doyle? Send it to him via Twitter at @TheRickyDoyle or send it here. 

The 21-year-old Yankees prospect was pulled over early Thursday morning in Tampa when an officer saw him weaving and traveling about 10 mph over the speed limit, according to TampaBay.com.

Williams allegedly displayed “clues of impairment,” so the officer arrested him. However, when Williams took a breath test, he was reportedly measured at a 0.06, which is below the legal limit. Despite being under the limit, Williams was booked in the Hillsborough County jail and faces a DUI charge.

The Yanks’ fourth-round draft pick in 2010 ranked No. 32 on Baseball America’s top prospects list prior to the 2013 season.  The center fielder is batting .271 with five doubles through 18 games for the Single-A Tampa Yankees this year.

Photo via Twitter/@Mjordanw9

Mark Teixeira says he won’t be playing by May 1, the date originally given as an optimistic target for his return from a right wrist injury.

“Obviously, I was being as optimistic as I could,” he told Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. “I wish that the very first time I swung a bat, I’d be like, ‘Wow, I feel 100 percent.’ But the chances of that happening weren’t there, but I was always going to hope for that and prepare for that.”

Teixeira said he has been taking dry swings from both sides of the plate, but the wrist is still balky enough that he isn’t hitting balls yet. He first hurt the tendon sheath in his right wrist when hitting off a tee in March.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi wasn’t rushing his switch-hitting first baseman back.

“I’ve said all along: This is probably the most unpredictable one,” he said of his team’s many injuries. “… Wrists are really tricky. You go day by day, week by week, and you see how he’s doing. Eventually, if you can get him in games, you have a much better idea.”

The Yankees are also without shortstop Derek Jeter (recovering from a broken ankle), third baseman Alex Rodriguez (hip surgery) and Curtis Granderson (broken arm).

Overbay signed with New York just before the season began and has been taking care of first base. The 36-year-old is batting just .234.

Jeter broke his ankle in the ALCS against the Tigers, and throughout spring the team said they expected him to be ready for Opening Day. However, Jeter could never graduate to playing spring games and now has been diagnosed with a small crack in that surgically repaired left ankle. Surgery won’t be needed again, but it will take anywhere from four to eight months to heal, and then Jeter would essentially go through full spring training again. That means it’s likely he’s not back until July.

With that injury playing a major role in his 2013 campaign, the Yankees may wonder which 18-year shortstop will show up at the end of the season. He was terrific last season, hitting .316 with 15 homers, 58 RBIs and a major-league leading 216 hits. Jeter was about the only Yankee to hit in the postseason. He also turns 39 in June and was already considered a very poor defender with little range. What will that range be on a twice-injured ankle? Jeter also is in the last year of his contract, although he does have an $8 million player option (which can be bought out for $3 million).

New York general manager Brian Cashman continues to say the Yankees won’t make a trade for a shortstop, but it’s hard to believe him.  Eduardo Nunez has been Jeter’s primary replacement and is hitting .175 with an anemic .271 on-base percentage. Yankees shortstops as a group are hitting .190 with one homer, six RBIs, an OBP of .254 and five runs scored, all among the worst marks in baseball.

The problems in dealing for a shortstop is that the Yankees are trying to get younger and cheaper and don’t want to trade prospects for an expensive veteran. New York has been able to withstand Jeter’s absence pretty well at 10-7 entering this week.  The team has gotten unexpected production from Travis Hafner and Vernon Wells. The former was signed off the scrap heap and hasn’t proven able to stay healthy. The latter was a salary dump by the Angels. Both are unlikely to keep it up.

The Yanks also are hoping to get injured Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira soon, although Teixeira recently suffered a setback with his rehab for a right wrist strain. His May 1 target date has also been pushed back.

Oddsmakers at Bovada believe it’s more likely that the Yankees miss the postseason, listing that outcome at -175 and making it at even money. New York remains +300 to win the AL East. The Red Sox have tied the Blue Jays as -275 favorites.

Brendan Kennedy of the Toronto Star reports that the Yankees’ security detail had a hand in Blue Jays fans being kicked out of a recent game for heckling pitchers as they were warming up in the bullpen.

Security guards traveling with the Yankees pointed out the fans and asked Toronto police and ballpark security to remove them from the game, and they did, according to Kennedy.

The situation was brought to light by 30-year-old fan Justin Jackson, who was sitting nearby and wrote about it on his blog. Kennedy tracked him down for further details.

Yankees security guard Mark Kafalas told Kennedy that the fans were also throwing peanuts into the bullpen, and that later in the game, “someone threw a full beer from the second deck,” according to Kennedy.

“Heckling is heckling — it’s baseball,” Kafalas said. “But when people start throwing things, it becomes dangerous.”

Kennedy said the Blue Jays said an usher also saw peanuts being thrown.

Jackson, the blogger, said he didn’t see any objects thrown, and when he asked the Yankees security guards what was going on, they didn’t answer and told him to go back to his seat “or he too would be removed from the game,” according to Kennedy.

A Yankees spokesman said the team does travel with two of its own security guards, whose role is to make sure players, staff and families remain safe.

Kafalas said that the Yankees having the extra security is unusual, “But we’re the Yankees. Sometimes we draw attention.”

Jackson said he filed a formal complaint with the Blue Jays and plans to follow up, Kennedy reports.

Photo of the Day

A welcome sight.

Tweet of the Day

Come ON, Coach Mark.

@masnSteve @masnRoch @masnsports http://t.co/ZFdWAQ1Qg7

—
Lauren Camac (@girlygirlLC) April 21, 2013

Video of the Day

Circus double play!

ESPN reported Monday that the spokeswoman for Cano’s foundation is listed as having been a client of Biogenesis of America LLC, a now-closed anti-aging clinic in Coral Gables. She told ESPN she did not receive anything from the clinic and said Cano never did, either.

Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez is among the big leaguers linked to clinic. The Miami New Times reported in January that it had obtained files showing Rodriguez bought banned substances from the facility. Rodriguez’s spokesman has denied the allegations in the New Times report.

Before Monday night’s game at Tampa Bay, Cano said he does not feel there is a need to contact Sonia Cruz, the spokeswoman for his foundation.

“It has nothing to do with me,” Cano said. “I’m just going to keep playing my game.”

Cano said he had not seen the report.

Derek Jeter

According to multiple reports, a CT scan revealed a new crack in Jeter’s foot, in the area of his previous injury. Jeter broke his left ankle during Game 1 of last year’s ALCS against the Tigers and was originally expected to miss only a few games of the 2013 season.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told reporters that the team isn’t expecting the shortstop back now until after the All-Star break. While Jeter will not need another surgery to help heal the injury, he will need time.

Eduardo Nunez has filled in during the 38-year-old shortstop’s absence, and he will likely continue to do so with Jeter’s return now pushed back.