Rejoice, Yankees fans

Cody Ransom has cleared waivers and will join Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre tonight.

Aceves saves Joba and Ransom

Joba Chamberlain and Cody Ransom did their best to turn a 4-0 lead into an 8-4 deficit.  Ransom’s fielding error in the third inning opened the floodgates, as Chamberlain gave up five unearned runs and was out of the game after only retiring 11 batters.

However, Jonathan Albaladejo and Alfredo Aceves saved the Yankees on the pitching side, while Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada and Hideki Matsui provided the offense.  Jeter hit the go-ahead home run in the fifth inning after Matsui drew the Yankees closer with a three-run shot in the fourth inning.  Posada added four hits and three RBI.

But the real story was Aceves, who pitched four innings of one-hit ball for his first career save.

The Yankees are now 15 games over .500 at 48-33, their highest amount of games above .500 this season.  They have also won 10 of their 11 games.  Andy Pettitte will look to lead the Yankees to a sweep over the Blue Jays tomorrow afternoon at 1:05.

Good riddance, Veras

Jose Veras has been traded to the Cleveland Indians for cash considerations.

That’s a plus.  I would’ve accepted a couple of bats in return for him.

Update – 7:08 p.m.: Angel Berroa was designated for assignment, as Cody Ransom has been activated.

Posada to the DL

Jorge Posada re-aggravated a hamstring injury when sliding into second base last night.  He was set to have an MRI today, and obviously the results were bad enough to warrant a trip to the disabled list, according to Sweeny Murti on WFAN.

Posada joins Damaso Marte, Cody Ransom, Brian Bruney, Chien-Ming Wang and Xavier Nady as Yankees who were placed on the disabled list during the regular season.  Alex Rodriguez has been injured since spring training.

This is bad news all around.  The Yankees obviously missed Posada last year, and will continue to miss him while he’s out this year.

Updates on the roster moves, Bruney

Cody Ransom was placed on the 60-day disabled list and Humberto Sanchez was released, according to Peter Abraham.

Meanwhile, Brian Bruney’s elbow injury has a strained flexor mass, meaning it’s a muscle injury and not a ligament injury.  He will not throw for a week.

Xavier Nady wasn’t placed on the 60-day DL, which, I presume, means that the team hopes he can return on the sooner side.

Berroa called up

As expected, Angel Berroa has been called up to replace the injured Cody Ransom, according to Chad Jennings.  Berroa is not on the 40-man roster, so the Yankees still need to make another move.  While no move has yet been announced, Jennings suggested moving Xavier Nady to the 60-day DL.

Berroa, 31, is batting .316/.365/.491 with two home runs and 13 RBI in 57 at-bats for Scranton.

It was said last night that David Robertson was called up to take Chien-Ming Wang’s spot.

Adding injury to insult

As Peter Abraham succinctly put it:

Wang to DL, Robertson coming.

Ransom on DL (quad). No word on who is coming.

Bruney has an injured elbow. Tests tomorrow.

That answers the question as to where Bruney was.  Ransom was injured stealing second base.  I would guess they’re disabling Wang with a “tired arm” or something.  More speculation: I’d say Robertson will remain up with the team until Tuesday, when Phil Hughes gets the call to start against Detroit.

Update – 12:30 a.m.: Abraham has more.  Apparently Bruney’s elbow was bothering him on Wednesday, which is why he didn’t pitch in the 14-inning game.  He gave up one run on two hits Tuesday night.

Ransom has some sort of a tear in his quad.  The Yankees will need to make a 40-man roster move when calling up an infielder tomorrow.

Regarding Wang, the Yankees said Wang’s issues are hip-related, stemming from his foot injury last year.  According to Brian Cashman, Wang will need two weeks of physical therapy.

‘I immediately regret this decision’

This reminds me of something that should be on Straight Cash Homey.  What a waste of money.

These personalized jerseys cost $100 (plus shipping) on MLB.com and leave the warehouse in 2-3 weeks.

When I went to the Cubs game on April 4, I saw two Shelley Duncan T-shirts and a Tanyon Sturtze jersey.  Ironically enough, one of the Duncan shirts was in the same section as the Sturtze jersey!

Picture found on SI.com

Help is near: A-Rod takes BP

Alex Rodriguez took 49 swings down in Tampa today, hitting three home runs during his first batting practice session since having hip surgery.

The Yankees keep saying Rodriguez’s target date is May 15, but Rodriguez still feels he can make his return before then.

This is good news, obviously, because Cody Ransom is 3-for-30 with 10 strikeouts and two errors.  He also left nine runners on base today.

Yankees open up new Stadium with powerful display

The Yankees hit three home runs to help open up the new Yankee Stadium tonight - the first by Robinson Cano in the second inning after starter Chien-Ming Wang gave up three runs over the first two innings.  The Yankees defeated the Cubs 7-4.

Hideki Matsui and Cody Ransom also added home runs.

Wang struggled early on, giving up four earned over the first four.  He was done after five innings and 71 pitches, striking out three and walking two.

The Yankees retook the lead in the third inning on Matsui's two-run shot.  After the Cubs tied the socre in the fouth, Ransom hit a three-run shot to give the Yankees a 7-4 lead, the eventual final score.

Derek Jeter and Brett Gardner doubled, while Xavier Nady went 2-for-3 with a run scored.

Mariano Rivera, Jose Veras, Edwar Ramirez and Jonathan Albaladejo eached pitched a scoreless inning to close out the game.

The Yankees are back in action tomorrow afternoon against the Cubs, with A.J. Burnett facing Rich Harden at 1:05 p.m. on YES, MLB.tv (free preview) and WCBS 880.

Getty Images

Yankees win 10-2

The Yankees powered their way to a 10-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies this afternoon, hitting four home runs.

Hideki Matsui hit a two-run home run in the first inning after Derek Jeter led off with a single. Cody Ransom homered in the fourth, while Nick Swisher and Melky Cabrera (!) each homered in the eighth inning.

Cabrera finished 2-for-4 with three RBI. Jeter went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored in the leadoff spot.

Joba Chamberlain started and struck out three and walked three in 4 1/3 innings. He also gave up three hits and two earned runs. Phil Coke, Edwar Ramirez, Brian Bruney, Jose Veras and Jonathan Albaladejo all had scoreless appearances.

CC Sabathia and the Yankees will take on the Cincinnati Reds tomorrow night in Tampa at 7:15.

Yankees sweep split squad Saturday

The Yankees, behind A.J. Burnett's four perfect innings, defeated the Astros 3-1 in one split squad game this afternoon in Tampa.

Burnett struck out three batters in his second start in Grapefruit League play. Dan Giese followed, giving up one run in two innings of play, striking out three. Edwar Ramirez, Brian Bruney and Jason Johnson then pitched one scoreless inning each.

Johnny Damon hit a solo home run in the first inning to give Burnett and the Yankees an early lead. Cody Ransom went 2-for-4 with his third double of the spring and a run scored.

In the other game, the Yankees defeated the Pirates 13-10. Austin Jackson went 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBI and three runs scored. Jesus Montero hit a grand slam in the seventh inning.

Phil Hughes started for the Yankees. In three innings, he gave up two earned runs, two hits and three walks while striking out two. Ian Kennedy pitched three innings of his own, striking out five and allowing one run. Mark Melancon disappointing, giving up five earned runs in only 2/3 of an inning. He gave up six hits and two home runs.

Andy Pettitte will start for the Yankees against Minnesota in Tampa at 1:15 tomorrow.

Yankees lose 8-4

Though Chien-Ming Wang was only charged with one earned run, he gave up seven runs while on the mound in 1 2/3 innings pitched in the Yankees' 8-4 loss to the Red Sox in Fort Myers. He also surrendered six hits (two home runs) while striking out one. Mike Lowell and David Ortiz homered for the Red Sox.

Xavier Nady drove in two runs for the Yankees and Cody Ransom hit an RBI triple in his 1-for-3 night.

Brett Tomko pitched 3 1/3 innings of shutout ball, striking out five and only allowing two hits.

The Yankees have a split squad game tomorrow. A.J. Burnett will start in Tampa at 1:15 (on YES) against the Houston Astros. Phil Hughes will start against the Pirates at 1:05.

Yankees sign remaining 0-3 players

0-3 players are players who have between zero to three years of service time. The Yankees have signed all 20 of these players, including Joba Chamberlain.

According to Bryan Hoch, Chamberlain will make $432,575 if he spends the entire season with the big club.

In addition to Chamberlain, the Yankees agreed to terms on 2009 contracts with the following players: Alfredo Aceves, Jonathan Albaladejo, Francisco Cervelli, Anthony Claggett, Phil Coke, Wilkin De La Rosa, Christian Garcia, Brett Gardner, Dan Giese, Eric Hacker, Phil Hughes, Steven Jackson, Ian Kennedy, Edwar Ramirez, Cody Ransom, Dave Robertson, Humberto Sanchez and Jose Veras.

The team didn't have to "renew" any contracts, meaning this year the team and the players all came to terms on a contract,

Yankees win 7-1

Joba Chamberlain rebounded nicely after a couple of bad spring training starts. Tonight, he gave up one run on three hits and no walks in three innings. He also struck out three batters and threw 20 of his 29 pitches for strikes. His control had been a cause for concern, as he walked four batters in his start against Team Canada.

Phil Coke followed Chamberlain with two shutout innings, striking out three and allowing three hits.

Brett Gardner and Cody Ransom both went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Juan Miranda hit a solo home run in the fourth inning, and Shelley Duncan added a three-run home run in the seventh. Hideki Matsui joined the hit parade with a double.

The Yankees will play the Tigers for the third time in six days tomorrow afternoon in Lakeland. CC Sabathia will start for the second time this spring.

AP Photo

Yankees win 12-3

A.J. Burnett, Phil Hughes and Angel Berroa stole the show Sunday afternoon against the Tigers. The two pitchers combined for five scoreless innings, and Berroa drove in four runs in the Yankees' 12-3 victory.

Burnett needed just 18 pitches to get through his two innings, and Hughes followed with three no-hit innings, striking out four and walking two.

Berroa went 2-for-3 with a double, home run and four RBI. Cody Ransom, on the day it was announced that Alex Rodriguez would have surgery, went 2-for-2 with a double and two runs scored. The Yankees drew 10 walks as a team, with Nick Swisher drawing three of them. Xavier Nady added a solo home run in the fifth inning.

Brian Bruney and Andrew Brackman gave up the Tigers' three runs. Bruney allowed a two-run home run to Will Rhymes.

The Yankees return to Tampa tomorrow to face the Blue Jays at 1:15 p.m. Andy Pettitte will start.

Yankees win 7-3

CC Sabathia made his Yankees spring debut tonight, and it resulted in a victory for the Bronx Bombers. The Yankees scored four runs against Justin Verlander, and Sabathia only gave up one earned run in two innings of work. He threw 26 pitches for 20 strikes, struck out two batters, gave up two hits and walked none.

Cody Ransom went 1-for-3 with a double and Johnny Damon had an RBI double. Alfredo Aceves pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing only one hit. David Robertson struck out the side to close the game in the ninth.

Chien-Ming Wang will go against the Atlanta Braves tomorrow afternoon at 1:15 in Tampa. The game will be on YES and WCBS-AM 880.

Brother-Rod: A-Rod to have surgery, out 10 weeks

Alex Rodriguez will need to have the cyst on his hip surgically removed, according to his brother. The recovery and rehab will take about 10 weeks.

On Thursday, Yankees manager Joe Girardi told reporters he did not have any information regarding Rodriguez.

"I have not heard anything yet," Girardi said. "I will try to go and find out what's going on."

Yankees spokesman Jason Zillo would neither confirm nor deny the report, according to the New York Daily News. "When we have information we'll give it to you," Zillo told the Daily News. "We're not giving out any information right now."

The development also means that A-Rod will not be able to participate with the Dominican Republic team in the World Baseball Classic.

"It's a big blow for the whole family. Alex is destroyed," Joe Rodriguez told ESPNdeportes.com. "We were all very excited to see him play with the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic.

Wow.

Hi, Cody Ransom.

The Yankees don't need to make a move here, I think. At this point, he's not out for the season, so it's not like when they had to think of something fast when Aaron Boone got hurt playing basketball. It's an obvious big blow, but at least they signed Mark Teixeira.

Cody Ransom is the best athlete on the team

That is if you believe Johnny Damon. Pete Caldera and Bryan Hoch both relayed that report this afternoon (they arrived in my Google Reader at the same time, so I will credit both). The quoted portion is from Hoch.

"If Alex couldn't go, we have a kid named Cody Ransom who is probably the best athlete on this team," Damon was saying. "He can throw, he's got power. No one can really do what Alex does, but we'd just have to switch around the lineup and move forward."

A few more questions followed, and Tyler Kepner of the Times brought the conversation back.

"Have you gone to YouTube yet?" Damon said. "And tell him to put you in a headlock."

Here is the YouTube video of Cody Ransom doing something remarkable:

Yankees lose 6-5

Thanks to those who were following along with me on Twitter.

The Yankees lost to Team USA 6-5 this afternoon in Tampa. Yes, it certainly was strange seeing Derek Jeter play against the Yankees, but I eventually forgot about it after a while. Too bad Michael Kay kept bringing it up every chance he got.

Jeter went 2-for-4 against his team with a two-RBI single to center field. As for players wearing the Yankees uniform, Brett Gardner went 3-for-3 with a double and a stolen base. Jorge Posada and Cody Ransom each went 2-for-3 with an RBI.

Phil Hughes started for the Yankees and pitched into the third inning for the first time this spring. The last pitch he threw was the two-run single to Jeter. Other than that, he looked good. He gave up three hits, struck out two, walked none and hit one batter. Eric Hacker struggled, almost to the point where it was painful to watch. He didn't retire any of the six batters he faced, allowing two hits, four runs (three earned) and two walks.

The Yankees resume their Grapefruit League schedule tomorrow when they face the Atlanta Braves in Lake Buena Vista at 1:05. Ian Kennedy will start for the Yankees.

(Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)