Brian Bruney has generated enough headlines with his mouth. The more important news is that he finally appears to be ready to pitch in and help out the Yankees' beleaguered bullpen. Bruney, who sparked a mini-brouhaha by criticizing Mets closer Frankie Rodriguez during the Subway Series, is expected to be activated off the disabled list before tonight's series opener against the Nationals. "I'd like to get him back to be our eighth-inning guy as soon as possible," Joe Girardi said. "Whenever we activate him, we'll try to get him in there as soon as possible." Girardi was speaking last night at the Oyster Bar in Grand Central Station at a fund-raiser for his Catch-25 Foundation to benefit research for Alzheimer's disease, which afflicts his 77-year-old father Jerry. Girardi isn't concerned about any fallout following Bruney's weekend war of words and batting-practice encounter with K-Rod, saying, "We're going to be in one town and (the Mets) are going to be in another, so I'm not really worried about that." Girardi's concern for Bruney is over whether the righty reliever finally is healthy enough to assume the set-up role the Yanks envisioned for him after he spent two stints on the disabled list this season with a strained right elbow. Bruney has been a productive contributor when healthy over the past two injury-plagued seasons, going 5-0 with a 2.08 ERA in 42 appearances. He likely will replace either David Robertson or Jose Veras on the 25-man roster. Meanwhile, Dr. James Andrews agreed with team doctors that Damaso Marte (shoulder) can continue with his throwing program, meaning there's still a chance the lefty reliever might return in 2009. "I'd like to believe there is, because they're not telling him to have surgery, " Girardi said. -- 當小姬要走時，請大家記得說：小姬~掰~ 掰！ / ◢█◣ ◥█○█ --

※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc) ◆ From: 140.124.72.120