ANAHEIM, Calif. — Joe Girardi said the switch from Travis Hafner to Lyle Overbay yesterday in the DH spot was nothing more than giving Hafner a day off.
However, it was hard to ignore Hafner’s 5-for-53 (.094) funk and .219 average going into yesterday’s 6-2 loss to the Angels at Angel Stadium.
“Get Lyle in there, I will probably get Haf back in there [today],’’ said Girardi, who also rested Vernon Wells’ frigid bat and played Thomas Neal in left field. “Just giving [Hafner] a day.’’
Asked whether Hafner, who had a shoulder problem earlier this season, was sound physically, Girardi indicated he was.
“He hasn’t said anything,’’ the manager said.
Overbay went 0-for-4 and had three of the Yankees’ season-high-tying 14 strikeouts. Neal fanned in all three of his at-bats.
Because Girardi’s DH options are limited, the manager said he and his staff hadn’t discussed reducing Hafner’s playing time.
“It’s not something we talked about, and I believe Haf is going to hit,’’ said Girard. “It’s not something we considered. Up until this point we consider him to be our DH. You look at things as things go on and you make evaluations.’’
Overbay, yesterday’s DH option, had three hits in 16 at-bats since Mark Teixeira returned from the DL May 31 and isn’t the power threat Hafner is, though Hafner has hit just two homers since May 20.
Wells is in an 8-for-77 (.104) slide.
* The Yankees are 12-27 in the last 39 games played at Angel Stadium, 2-19 when allowing more than five runs and 1-21 when scoring two or fewer runs.
* As he does in every city, Mariano Rivera met yesterday with a group at Angel Stadium.
Mostly the folks in the small gathering are ballpark employees whom Rivera wants to thank. Occasionally, they are locals with a story to tell.
Yesterday, former Angels and Yankees pitcher Jim Abbott sat in and paid Rivera the ultimate compliment.
“My favorite player is Lou Gehrig, and you are the modern-day Lou Gehrig, the way you handle yourself,’’ Abbott told Rivera, who was floored by the comment.
“To hear a comment like that is special,’’ said Rivera, who was a spring training teammate of Abbott. “That it came from a former player is outstanding.”
* The Yankees aren’t changing their thought about not getting Alex Rodriguez back before the All Star break (July 15-18) and aren’t guaranteeing the third baseman will return following hip surgery.
Yet, the reports coming from Tampa to Girardi suggest improvement.
“I think he is progressing well. He ran the bases [yesterday] at 75 percent and felt pretty good,’’ Girardi said.”I am curious to see how he feels [today]. That’s something he hasn’t been doing and that’s good.’’
* Francisco Cervelli is hopeful to start swinging a bat next week, which puts him ahead of Curtis Granderson.
Cervelli had a pin removed from a fractured right hand almost three weeks ago and experienced swelling.
Granderson is expected to be examined this week, but it’s not known whether the pin in his fractured fractured left pinkie will be removed.
The Yankees are hoping to get each back in July.
* Bergen County product David Palladino agreed to a $371,000 signing bonus with the Yankees, who took the 6-foot-9, 230-pound right-hander from Howard Junior College in Texas in the fifth round of this month’s draft.
The $317,000 is approximately $93,000 above the slot for a player taken with the 164th pick in the draft. The Yankees were forced to go higher because Palladino was headed for LSU.