Yankees at Padres
With the media circus centering its attention around Alex Rodriguez, the New York Yankees are set to welcome another former All-Star back to the lineup. Curtis Granderson will return after missing more than two months of action as the visiting Yankees begin a three-game set with the San Diego Padres on Friday. Last season's team leader with 43 homers, Granderson missed the first six weeks of the season with a fractured forearm before a broken pinkie sidelined him since May 24.
Granderson's return comes at a welcome time for New York, which needs to gain some ground during its eight-game road trip. The Yankees salvaged a split of an abbreviated two-game set with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday while San Diego saw its four-game winning streak come to an end with a 4-1 setback to Cincinnati. The Padres have won eight of their 13 contests since the All-Star break.
TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, YES (New York), FSSD (San Diego)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees LH CC Sabathia (9-9, 4.65 ERA) vs. Padres RH Andrew Cashner (7-5, 3.88)
Sabathia yielded seven runs on nine hits over five innings for the second straight outing to increase his losing streak to three games. The 33-year-old kept the ball in the park for the first time in six outings, but was still battered by Tampa Bay. A California native, Sabathia is 3-0 with a 2.12 ERA in his career versus the Padres - but hasn't faced them since 2008.
Cashner recorded his second straight victory after allowing three runs in six innings en route to a 12-3 triumph over Arizona on Saturday. The 26-year-old has struggled with walks, issuing 13 in his last four games - including five in the last outing. Cashner, who has yet to face the Yankees in his career, owns a 4-2 mark with a 2.50 ERA at home.
WALK-OFFS
1. Rodriguez played in a simulated game on Thursday as a possible suspension loomed stemming from his involvement in the Biogenesis case. The 38-year-old is expected to continue his rehab with Double-A Trenton on Friday.
2. San Diego LF Carlos Quentin is expected to return to the lineup after tweaking his knee on Tuesday. He is 4-for-22 with a homer in his career versus Sabathia.
3. Dominican OF Leonardo Molina celebrated his 16th birthday by signing with New York on Thursday. The deal included a $1.4 million bonus.