Pregame notes: Rodriguez could play first base this week in Boston

A few quick notes before today’s game gets started:

• With Mark Teixeira still hurting and the Red Sox planning to start a pair of lefties in the next three days, Joe Girardi said he will consider using Alex Rodriguez at first base for at least one of the upcoming games in Boston. Rodriguez hasn’t played the field since May 23 when he was a late-inning replacement at first base. He hasn’t started a game in the field since April.

• Not only would playing Rodriguez at first base let the Yankees avoid a left-on-left matchup for Greg Bird, it would also presumably let them start Carlos Beltran at designated hitter to keep all of the regular outfielders plus Chris Young in the lineup.

• At 13-2, Yankees starter Nathan Eovaldi is tied for first in the Majors (minimum 12 decisions) with a .867 winning percentage (Drew Hutchison is also 13-2). Eovaldi is one of two pitchers who has made at least 12 starts this season and taken two losses or fewer. Among Yankees pitchers with at least 12 decisions in a season in the expansion era (since 1969), Eovaldi’s .867 winning percentage is the fourth-highest: Ron Guidry-1978 (25-3, .893); Ron Davis-1979 (14-2, .875); Roger Clemens-2001 (20-3, .870).

• Eovaldi has a career-best eight-game winning streak and 12-start unbeaten streak, going 8-0 with a 2.93 ERA (73.2IP, 24ER) in his past 12 starts since June 20. That’s the longest winning streak by a Yankee this season and the longest single-season winning streak by a Yankee since Ivan Nova won 12 straight decisions in 2011. Opponents are hitting .235 during Eovaldi’s 12-start unbeaten streak (they hit .329 in his first 13 starts).

• Dustin Ackley is making his fourth minor league rehab appearance today. Interestingly, he’s starting at second base, a position he’s hardly played this year (the Yankees have said they see him primarily as an outfielder for the time being). Last night, Ackley went 1-for-2 with a home run (his first minor league homer since June 6, 2013). On his rehab assignment, Ackley has gone 4-for-10, with a double, a home run, three runs and a stolen base.

• The fan who fell to his death during last night’s game has been identified. His family says Gregory Murrey had been sitting in the upper deck for Braves games for 23 years.

• Sounds like there’s a solid chance today’s game will start on time despite rain all around Atlanta.

Associated Press photo

 

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