Yankees’ Granderson progressing with rehab

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This article was published 07/04/2013 (4887 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

TAMPA, Fla. — Yankees outfielder Curtis Granderson could resume throwing next week as part of his rehabilitation program for a broken right forearm.

Granderson said Saturday he will have follow-up X-rays Tuesday. He also hopes to be cleared to start swinging a fungo bat.

The slugger, who led New York with 43 homers last season, broke an arm when he was hit by a pitch from Toronto’s J.A. Happ in his first at-bat of spring training on Feb. 24. Granderson could rejoin the Yankees next month.

Derek Jeter, still recovering from left ankle surgery last October, did limited field work for the second consecutive day. The shortstop fielded 41 grounders hit directly at him near the left-field fence at a distance roughly equal of playing in front of the infield dirt. He also hit off a tee in a batting cage and played catch, including long toss. There is no announced timetable for the return of the Yankees’ 38-year-old captain.

Sandoval feels ‘great’

SAN FRANCISCO — Pablo Sandoval is ready to put all the chatter about his weight to rest.

Last year’s World Series MVP insists he is doing his best to get in tip-top shape, and he’s certainly showing he has plenty of range at third base.

Sandoval realizes people will talk about his weight no matter what. It seems to be a nonstop topic lately.

“I feel great,” he said before Saturday’s game against the Cardinals. “I’m just concentrating on playing my game and to play baseball. If it all goes well, I’ll lose weight. For now, I’m just going to concentrate out there. I know my manager is worried about that because he wants me to be a better baseball player. I know all the people say things about my weight because they want me to be the best.”

After spending the spring working on his defence, Kung Fu Panda made several nice plays behind Barry Zito to back a 1-0 win over St. Louis in San Francisco’s home opener Friday — including running down a foul popup near the home bullpen.

The 26-year-old Sandoval, listed by the team at 242 pounds, batted .369 in the post-season last year with five doubles, six homers and 13 RBIs. That came after he was benched for four of the five games during the 2010 World Series, when he hit .176 with two RBI.

From goat to hero

CINCINNATI, Ohio — Ian Desmond made two errors at shortstop that helped the Cincinnati Reds send the game to extra innings, then led off the 11th with his first homer of the season to rally the Washington Nationals to a 7-6 victory Saturday.

The Nationals were coming off a 15-0 loss in the series opener, their most lopsided defeat since baseball returned to Washington in 2005. The Reds hit six homers in that one.

Washington got the better of it this time, hitting five homers to Cincinnati’s one. The teams have combined for 12 homers, accounting for 20 of the 28 runs in the series.

Wilson Ramos hit two for the Nationals, including a solo shot off J.J. Hoover (0-2) in the 11th.

Wagner card fetches $2.1M

WEST BERLIN, N.J. — A 1909 Honus Wagner baseball card has been sold for more than $2.1 million at auction.

The T206 card, originally released by the American Tobacco Co., went for $2,105,770.50 in an online sale, Goldin Auctions said Saturday.

While the company said the price was a record for a baseball card sold at auction, a similar Wagner card in mint condition was purchased for $2.8 million in a private sale in 2007.

— The Associated Press