TORONTO — Alex Rodriguez agrees with those who have watched him lately.
“I felt terrible,’’ the ice cold Yankees designated hitter said after Sunday’s 3-1 loss to the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre, when he went 0-for-3 (all strikeouts) to extend his slide to 3-for-34 (.088). “Everyone goes through it. It will be good to get a change of scenery.’’
Rodriguez admitted to chasing too many pitches out of the strike zone before Friday night’s game, when he went 1-for-5. He didn’t play Saturday.
Sunday, he copped to chasing in his first-inning at-bat, but otherwise said: “I feel fine. Sometimes they make great pitches.”
Rodriguez figures the slide is part of the six-month season.
“Keep working hard, 500 to 600 at-bats it goes up and down like the stock market,’’ said Rodriguez, who has gone 65 at-bats since last homering on July 27 in Houston.
While there is a chance Michael Pineda could re-enter the starting rotation Friday night against the Indians at the Stadium, the Yankees weren’t ready to commit to that Sunday.
“It all depends how he feels and based on our need,’’ Joe Girardi said when asked about Pineda, who pitched three innings for Double-A Trenton on Sunday in a minor league rehab start, allowing two runs on four hits. He didn’t walk or strike out anyone and threw 42 pitches, 30 for strikes.
Girardi’s plan is at some point to insert a sixth arm into the rotation to give the other five pitchers an extra day of rest. The manager has announced CC Sabathia, Nathan Eovaldi and Ivan Nova for the upcoming Twins series at the Stadium, but nothing beyond that.
Bryan Mitchell and Adam Warren, currently in the bullpen, are candidates to be the sixth starter, whenever Girardi decides to do it.
“You think about [adding a sixth] because what happened to Nova, he got hit with a pitch and it gives him an extra day and then you give [Masahiro] Tanaka an extra day,’’ Girardi said. “Some of it is based on need if we do it.’’
Nova took a ball off his right ring finger Friday night in the third inning and worked four more frames in a 4-3 Yankees victory. A test that night was negative and he has been soaking the finger in ice since. Nova is slated to start Wednesday night, and on Sunday he said he will.
The last time Girardi inserted a sixth starter was Aug. 1 against the White Sox in Chicago. Mitchell went four-plus innings, allowed four runs and seven hits in an 8-2 loss.
Brian Cashman had a good day Saturday. Tanaka went the distance in a 4-1 win over the Blue Jays and the Yankees general manager walked the edge of the top of the CN building adjacent to Rogers Centre.
Strapped in a harness in the front and back and accompanied by a tour guide, Cashman circled the perimeter of the structure, which is 116 stories high.
“[I was] very nervous,’’ said Cashman, who leaned backward, but not forward.
Making the adventure more daunting was Cashman spent Saturday’s game looking up at the tower and going solo.
Cashman says he is afraid of heights but every holiday season he repels down a 23-story building in Stamford, Conn.
Jacoby Ellsbury was 0-for-19 when Girardi gave the leadoff hitter/center fielder off last Wednesday in Cleveland. Ellsbury watched two hours of videotape that night and it appears to have helped.
After going 2-for-4 with a homer Sunday, Ellsbury is hitting .389 (7-for-18) in the four games since sitting out.
“I think he feels comfortable at the plate and is swing the bat better,’’ Girardi said. “We have said those two guys at the top are really, really important.’’
Brett Gardner, who bats second, went 1-for-4 and is batting .333 (7-for-21) in his last five games.