NEW YORK — Outfielder Seth Smith is back to the strength-building stage in his recovery from a nagging groin injury that surfaced midway through spring training.
“The groin is fine,” he said Sunday before the Seattle Mariners closed out a three-game weekend series at Yankee Stadium. “It’s just a matter now of getting my legs back.”
The most encouraging sign came Saturday when Smith, playing right field after entering the game as a pinch-hitter, cut off a drive into the right-center gap with two outs in the ninth inning.
The Mariners were clinging to a one-run lead at the time, and Smith’s play prevented the New York Yankees from scoring the tying run.
“We were in no-doubles (defense) late in the game,” manager Scott Servais said, “and he got to the ball quickly and got it in quickly. It was a big point in the game. It looks like he’s moving around a little better.”
Steve Cishek then closed out a 3-2 victory by retiring the next hitter.
Servais admitted he was hesitant to put Smith in right field when looking to protect a one-run lead.
“We talked about it,” Servais said. “Playing right field here is much different than playing right field in Safeco. Less ground to cover. The fence is a little closer.”
So Servais took a chance … and it paid off.
Smith was the designated hitter in Sunday’s finale. Nelson Cruz started in right field, but Servais indicated that move stemmed more from a desire to have Cruz log time in the outfield.
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