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NEW YORK -- The Yankees were caught slightly off guard by Joba Chamberlain's appearance in the clubhouse on Friday, as the right-hander issued his locker to rookie catcher Austin Romine.But some quick work by the staff shuttled Romine across the room to claim Sergio Mitre's locker space, and Chamberlain's small corner of Yankee Stadium was restored to the way he left it."I'm back on the roster," football wives Chamberlain said, slapping the name plate hanging above his belongings.Well, not yet. Chamberlain has just resumed playing catch after undergoing Tommy John surgery in June, and he's living in Pensacola, Fla., to allow for weekly checkups with Dr. James Andrews, who performed the surgery. "I feel very fortunate and blessed to be ahead of schedule," said Chamberlain, who turned 26 on Friday and bel football wives ieves he could be ready to throw off a mound by Spring Training. "It feels good to throw."Chamberlain has worked up to making 30 tosses at a distance of 30 feet, as prescribed by Andrews' post-surgery workout plan. Chamberlain carries his daily assignments on a laminated sheet of paper."It was kind of weird at first -- I didn't know what to do," Chamberlain said. "It took me a few throws to get go football wives ing, but it was nice to pick up a ball and have it in my hand." Cano clarifies comments on MVP race NEW YORK -- Robinson Cano clarified previous comments regarding the balloting for the American League Most Valuable Player Award: he'd vote for himself, but the Yankees' second baseman will leave that to those who actually do the voting.Cano expected a minor stir after he mentioned in an appeara football wives nce at the MLB Fan Cave that he'd put his own name in the MVP mix, but he said on Friday that it's not really his choice anyway."I got asked, 'If you have to vote for one of you guys, who would you vote for?' I would vote for myself," Cano said. "That's what I said. The numbers are there, but I didn't say that I had to be or wanted to be."Cano headed into action on Friday batting .305 with 27 home football wives runs and a career-high 116 RBIs in 154 games, leading the Majors with 80 extra-base hits. Manager Joe Girardi said that Cano's name definitely deserves to be in the MVP talk."I think it's an MVP-caliber year, what he's done for us this year -- him and [Curtis Granderson]," Girardi said. "I think he's had a very good year, and in the absence of Alex [Rodriguez], stepping into the four-hole and jus football wives t continuing to be productive. He's a guy that seems to get stronger as the season goes on."Cano said that he needs to keep his focus on the playoffs ahead and that he isn't lobbying for MVP votes right now. "I would say, whoever you guys pick," Cano said. "That's not my choice. It's like if you ask my mom, 'Who is the prettiest man in the world?' She's going to say me."Cano said that he feels his football wives 2011 campaign was an improvement over last year, when he brought home the AL's Rawlings Gold Glove Award honors for second base.Perhaps more accolades are indeed in his future. "It feels good -- I can't complain," Cano said. "It's not about the way I play; it's more about where we are right now. We have [six] games before the season's over, so we can get some guys some rest. We're in pretty good football wives shape." Cervelli holding out hope for playoff roster NEW YORK -- Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli was cleared to resume workouts on Friday and hopes to be in consideration for the postseason roster.Sidelined since suffering a concussion in a home-plate collision on Sept. 8 at Baltimore, Cervelli was given the green light by a neurologist and could begin baseball activities shortly."I've got football wives to be honest with myself," Cervelli said. "If I feel a little bad, I've got to tell them, but right now, everything is fine."Manager Joe Girardi has said that he would be "surprised" if Cervelli could rejoin the team, but Cervelli isn't ruling out being ready for the American League Division Series."I don't know -- let's see," Cervelli said. "I'm going to do the best I can, but in my mind, that's football wives what I want."With Cervelli out, Girardi has been giving playing time to catchers Jesus Montero and Austin Romine, who will be considered as backups for the first-round playoff roster. But Girardi said that he has no problem catching Russell Martin in every game of the postseason."I think he's more than capable of playing every day, every playoff game behind home plate, so that's not really a ques football wives tion in my mind," Girardi said of Martin. Bombers bits #149; Girardi said that he has given "very little" thought to the postseason roster at this point, but there are meetings scheduled for next week. He did add that it is "safe to say" that CC Sabathia and Ivan Nova will draw starts in the American League Division Series. #149; Could A.J. Burnett start in the ALDS? Girardi responded coyly, football wives saying, "Anyone could get a start in the ALDS. That's where we are right now. I'll continue to evaluate, and a lot of it depends on who we play." #149; Including Friday, the Yankees have had 22 games affected by weather this season, including a Major League-leading nine postponed contests. football wives
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