Yanks hope Montero can shine into October

Perhaps the best insight into the Yankees' October hopes for top prospect Jesus Montero came when third-base coach Rob Thomson posted the starting lineup on the clubhouse doors Sunday morning.

Once again Montero's name was listed alongside the likes of Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira and Robinson Cano, marking the rookie's third start in four games since he was called up from Triple-A.

Based on the Yankees' willingness to use Montero regularly so far, it's not hard to figure out what they're thinking. In their pinstriped fantasy, the 21-year-old will have a monster September, giving the Yankees no choice but to use him as their designated hitter -- at least against lefthanders -- in the postseason.

All three of Montero's starts have come against lefthanders, against whom the righthanded-hitting Montero posted a .647 slugging percentage in the minors this year.

One day after getting his first major-league hit, Montero added two more to his career total in the Yankees' 9-3 win over Toronto Sunday. He said he was "more calm" and "more comfortable" at the plate Sunday than he was in his previous two starts, and it showed.

Batting ninth, Montero notched two hard singles in two at-bats off Brett Cecil in the third and fifth innings. Facing righthander Jesse Litch in the seventh, Montero reached on an error by first baseman Edwin Encarnacion, who botched a low throw from third baseman Brett Lawrie.

Manager Joe Girardi said he understands how hard it is for rookies to get past the initial nerves of being in the majors.

"Just coming up as a rookie for the first time, it's not easy to relax," Girardi said. "It's just not. You want to impress everyone. You want to prove you belong. You want an opportunity to come back next year. It's not easy. It's something you have to get through. Every rookie has to get through it."

And in Montero's case, he has arrived with the added pressure of being hyped since the day in 2006 the Yankees agreed to give him $2 million to sign as a 16-year-old.

Girardi remembers how much Robinson Cano pressed in 2005 when the Yankees summoned him that May from Triple-A as their in-season answer to their woes at second base. Girardi was Joe Torre's bench coach that season, and he saw how Torre publicly supported Cano even when he had two hits in his first 23 at-bats.

Cano finally broke through, of course, and in big fashion. He responded with 15 hits in his next 29 at-bats and hit .307 (153-for-499) with a .475 slugging percentage in his final 125 games.

Fast-forward six years and here's Cano playing the role of the veteran. He's been one of the Yankees in Montero's ear, reminding the rookie not to try too hard. And even though it's only three games into his big-league career, Montero believes he's moving past the initial nerves of being here.

"I go out there and have a lot of fun," he said. "Everything is getting a lot better now, thank God."

The Yankees have 24 games left to see if Montero will play a role in October. He said it's been "awesome" to see his name in the lineup three times so far, something that's sure to continue, especially against lefthanders. In his tryout for October, it's only just begun.