Brett Gardner swings, is ready to play in a game after wrist injury

TAMPA, Fla. — Brett Gardner finally is game-ready. The leftfielder, limited throughout spring training by a bone bruise in his left wrist, took nine at-bats during a simulated game Sunday and is slated to play in his first game Wednesday.

Gardner experienced trouble with both wrists last season — both were hit by pitches in April — and incurred the bone bruise during the AL wild-card game when he banged against the right-centerfield fence while making a catch. He did not take batting practice the entire offseason or in camp until last week and faced live pitching for the first time Sunday.

“I know this isn’t a real game, but it’s pretty darn close to a real game,’’ he said, “and I was very pleased with the way things felt today.”

McCann dinged

After a pitch from CC Sabathia hit Ryan Howard in the second inning Sunday, the ball glanced off Brian McCann’s left knee. The catcher took his turn at-bat in the bottom of the second but was replaced by Carlos Corporan in the top of the third. McCann felt the knee stiffen up in the dugout but said he would have stayed in “100 percent” had it been a regular-season game.

Better this time

Aroldis Chapman, who walked two and hit two batters in two-thirds of an inning in his debut Thursday, struck out three and walked one in an inning Sunday. His fastball reached 100 mph for the first time this month, but Chapman was most pleased with his slider and changeup.

Roster doings

The Yankees optioned lefthanded pitcher Jacob Lindgren to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and reassigned him to minor-league camp. Also reassigned to minor-league camp: righthanded pitchers Domingo German, Chad Green, Kyle Haynes, James Kaprielian and Brady Lail; lefthanded pitcher Tyler Webb; catchers Francisco Diaz, Kyle Higashioka, Santiago Nessy and Sebastian Valle; infielders Jorge Mateo, Deibinson Romero and Tyler Wade, and outfielders Lane Adams, Dustin Fowler and Aaron Judge.