Cano leaves after getting hit in hand on swing

SARASOTA, Fla. -- Robinson Cano took a swing at a pitch by Orioles lefthander Troy Patton in the sixth inning and missed it. But the ball did not miss him. It caught him on the left hand.

He immediately grabbed it and grimaced. Joe Girardi and trainer Steve Donohue quickly came onto the field and took Cano off, with the trainer holding up the player's hand.

Cano was hit on the meaty, outside part of the left hand. "The X-rays were negative, so he'll be fine,'' Girardi said.

It was a bit of a surprise to see a Most Valuable Player candidate in a spring training road game. Regulars rarely make trips. But Sarasota is only about an hour from the Yankees' base in Tampa, and Girardi had said that hitters are getting to the point that they need more repetitions to help groove their swings and get them prepared for the day-in, day-out routine of the regular season.

Little notice has been paid to Cano during this camp because he is so good, he is a given. He left for several days early in spring training to attend the funeral of his great-grandmother. About the only other time his name has come up was when Girardi said his place at No. 3 in the batting order is about the only sure thing in the lineup.

Cano himself joked about his slow start when he finally hit a long home run Saturday at George M. Steinbrenner Field. The ball cleared everything in rightfield and he said afterward, "It was good to hit one out of the infield. It was good to get the first one. Everything has been a ground ball. You don't want to wait until the last week of spring training to get going."

Girardi said Saturday that Cano, who finished the day batting .208, looked to be finally getting "locked in."