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Yankees may not have Jeter in opener with Rangers

Jun 14, 2011 - 2:59 PM (Sports Network) - The New York Yankees could be without Derek Jeter this evening when they open up a three-game series against the remarkable Alexi Ogando and the Texas Rangers at Yankee Stadium.

Jeter singled in his first at-bat on Monday to pull within six hits of becoming the first Yankee to reach 3,000 hits. However, he injured his calf later in the game and was forced to leave his team's 1-0 setback versus the Cleveland Indians.

An MRI revealed a Grade 1 sprain of the calf and he is listed as day-to-day.

"Obviously we're worried about him," Girardi said afterward, before the MRI results were known. "You don't see him come out of games. My gut feeling would be he won't be out there [Tuesday]."

Following this series New York hits the road for six games before starting another six-game homestand.

The Yankees wasted a superb outing from A.J. Burnett (6-5) on Monday, as the right-hander gave up just a run and five hits, striking out eight in 7 2/3 innings. New York, though, was 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position after outscoring the Indians 24-8 in winning the first three games of the set.

Jeter could be better served taking a rest tonight, as the Yanks will be going up against one of the better young right-handers in the league this season in Ogando, who is 7-0 with a 2.10 earned run average.

Ogando continued to impress on Wednesday against the Detroit Tigers, allowing just a run and six hits, while striking out seven in 7 2/3 innings. He has allowed two runs or less in 10 of his 12 starts this season and with another win tonight he will become the second Rangers starter in as many years to win his first eight decisions in a season. Tommy Hunter opened the year 8-0 last season.

One of Ogando's two bad outings came against the Yankees, who battered him for five runs and six hits in 6 1/3 innings.

The Yankees will rely on lefty CC Sabathia, who had a four-start winning streak stopped his last time out. Sabathia was brilliant through the first six innings against the Boston Red Sox on Thursday, but the wheels came off in the sixth, as he allowed six runs to suffer the defeat, dropping him to 7-4 on the year to go along with a 3.15 ERA.

"Very disappointing -- that's the outing," Sabathia said. "We lose the game and get swept. I take total blame for everything that happened in the seventh inning, and I'll be back out there again in five days."

Sabathia beat the Rangers the last time he faced them and is 9-3 lifetime in this matchup with a 4.39 ERA in 16 starts.

The big left-hander will be facing a Rangers team that is scuffling a bit after dropping three of four over the weekend to the Minnesota Twins. Texas has lost five of its last seven overall, but still maintains a two-game edge over the Seattle Mariners in the AL West.

The Yankees have won four of six from the Rangers this season.