Aki-Cantu Update, Yankees-Rays Lineups

Posted Apr 24, 2007 by Aaron Knox

Updated Apr 24, 2007 at 03:57 PM

As reported earlier by our Marc Lancaster, 3B Akinori Iwamura is out with a strained right oblique. Manager Joe Maddon confirmed the prognosis of a 4-6 week absence. Ty Wigginton will slide over to third base, with Carlos Pena taking over as the primary first baseman (at least until Greg Norton returns, which Maddon said could be in two or three weeks).

Also, today marks the return to the Rays of infielder Jorge Cantu, whose parting shot at the organization when he was demoted to Triple-A Durham in March remains a fresh memory. Cantu essentially said he wasn’t a minor leaguer, and he felt like he hadn’t been treated fairly after working hard to prepare for this season after having such a bad, injury-plagued season in 2006.

Maddon insisted there were no hard feelings.

“I really don’t carry grudges very easily,” Maddon said. “A lot of times people say certain things in the heat of the moment that they really don’t mean. Jorge and I had good conversations. I have no probalem with it whatsoever, actually. It’s all good. We did talk. For me, it’s really a non-issue. I just look forward to having him back here and getting him active and see what he looks like at first base and then trying to spot him against the appropriate pitchers. But I have no problem. I’m looking forward to seeing him.”

Here are the lineups, with the return of Yankees ace Chien-Ming Wang now overshadowed (at least around here) by the Devil Rays’ extended loss of an AL Rookie of the Year candidate in Iwamura:

Yankees
Johnny Damon, CF
Derek Jeter, SS
Bobby Abreu, RF
Alex Rodriguez, 3B
Jason Giambi, DH
Hideki Matsui, LF
Jorge Posada, C
Robinson Cano, 2B
Josh Phelps, 1B

Rays:
Rocco Baldelli, CF
Brendan Harris, SS
Carl Crawford, LF
Ty Wigginton, 3B
Delmon Young, RF
Carlos Pena, 1B
Jonny Gomes, DH—(Go crazy, Gomesiacs!)
Dioner Navarro, C
B.J. Upton, 2B