Chase Headley feeling better than expected after beaning

CINCINNATI — When Aaron Hicks, Gary Sanchez and Chase Headley were drilled by Reds reliever Drew Storen in the seventh inning Monday night what were the chances none suffered a serious injury?

Whatever those odds were, the Yankees apparently beat them because Headley, who was the only one to leave the 10-4 victory at Great American Ball Park, felt OK when he woke up Tuesday.

“Really better than I anticipated,’’ said Headley, who was hit on the right knee and forced out of the game. “I am sore but when I woke up this morning I felt better and better after I got some treatment.

“I was pleasantly surprised and happy it wasn’t worse,’’ Headley said.

On Sunday, manager Joe Girardi had told the switch-hitting third baseman, who is in the first slump of the season, he wasn’t going to be in the lineup Tuesday. Girardi did say Tuesday he was waiting to see how Headley responded to some working out before deciding if Headley could help off the bench. Girardi used Headley to hit for Ronald Torreyes in the ninth inning of the Yankees’ 5-3 loss to the Reds and he flied out deep to left.

Asked about returning to the lineup Thursday against the Astros following Wednesday’s day of rest, Headley said, “I would think so but I can’t say for sure.’’

Headley has six hits in the last 33 at-bats (.182) and watched Torreyes start at third base for the third time this season.

Hicks joined Headley on the bench at the beginning of the game and while it had more to do with Hicks starting the first four games on the road trip and playing all 18 innings Sunday night and Monday morning against the Cubs, Girardi admitted Hicks getting drilled in the left foot by Storen played a part.

“I figured he has played every day on this trip and all 18 innings and it makes your decision easier when you get plunked in the foot,’’ Girardi said of sitting Hicks who had 10 hits in the previous 21 at-bats (.476). “Even though he said he felt all right he wasn’t running as hard to first and that is not like him.’’
Hicks hit for CC Sabathia in the seventh, stayed in the game and drew a one-out walk in the ninth.

According to Girardi, Greg Bird is still in rest/treatment mode.

“It’s rest for 10 days and he is getting treatment back in New York,’’ Girardi said of Bird, who last played May 1 and was put on the 10-day DL the next day with a bruised right ankle. “We will probably evaluate him when we get back [home] Thursday and see where he is at.’’

While Bird went on the shelf with a .100 (6-for-60) batting average, one homer and three RBIs, his main replacement Chris Carter, was 3-for-14 (.214) with an RBI in four games filling in. Matt Holliday, who started Sunday and Monday at first, went 4-for-8 with a homer and a RBI in two games at the position he had 10 games of experience in before Sunday.

Brett Gardner fifth-inning bunt single stretched his hitting streak to a career-high dozen games.