Derek Jeter could be making his first game appearance today since breaking an ankle last October in the ALCS.
Yankees manager Joe Girardi made the announcement Friday, when the New York lost to the Miami Marlins 6-1. He said he planned to talk with Jeter on Saturday morning.“I won't be giving him any must gos and those of those type of things,” Girardi said. “We'll see how he feels.”Girardi said Jeter will be the designated hitter until he's ready to return to shortstop. The Yankees play Atlanta in Tampa today, which also could be the first game appearance of Mariano Rivera since injuring a knee last May.Briefly• Cardinals: Allen Craig, coming off a breakout season with St. Louis, agreed Friday to a $31 million, five-year contract that could be worth $43 million over six seasons. Craig is a career .300 hitter and became the Cardinals' primary first baseman last year after Lance Berkman got hurt. ... Former TCU standout Matt Carpenter was 4 for 4 with two doubles and an RBI in a 16-10 rout of Washington.Briefly• Athletics: Josh Donaldson broke out of an 0-for-15 slump with a pair of long home runs as Oakland's game against Seattle was rained out in the top of the fourth inning with the Athletics ahead 12-1.• Blue Jays: Josh Johnson struck out five in 3 2/3 hitless innings to lead the Blue Jays past an Atlanta split-squad 7-1. Johnson, who went 8-14 with a 3.81 ERA for the Miami Marlins last season, was acquired over the winter and lowered his spring ERA to 1.17. • Astros: Houston hopes the regular season doesn't look like this. Atlanta sent 26 batters to the plate over the first three innings, piling up 14 runs and 14 hits — six of them for extra bases — in a 14-9 split-squad win. Houston starter Jordan Lyles was pounded for six runs and seven hits while getting just two outs and facing nine batters.• Nationals: Jordan Zimmermann allowed eight runs and nine hits in three innings during Washington’s 16-10 loss to St. Louis. He has given up 13 runs and 16 hits over nine innings in three spring training starts. “I think about this time of spring training all pitchers go through a little dead arm, and I think he was a little dead-armed,” Nationals manager Davey Johnson said. “He got a little treatment afterward. Nothing I need to worry about.”• Tigers: Max Scherzer did enough to earn an early exit. Scherzer struck out six in 2 2-3 hitless innings and Detroit defeated the Mets 3-2. Scherzer walked three in his second spring start. Mets starter Dillon Gee, from Cleburne, allowed one hit in four innings. He gave up one run.• Mets: Pitching prospect Jenrry Mejia returned to camp Friday and can resume baseball activities after being diagnosed with a hyperactive thyroid gland. The 23-year-old flew to New York this week for tests . He has been advised by doctors not to eat seafood, which is rich in iodine, but he does not have to take medication.Have more to add? News tip? Tell us
