Joe Girardi On WFAN: Yankees Bats Have 'Just Been Excellent'

NEW YORK (WFAN) -- Despite a couple of recent losses, Yankees Manager Joe Girardi is pretty pleased with the team's performance, especially at the plate.

"When you look at what our guys have done, the whole group has swung the bat extremely well," he said during his weekly appearance on Mike Francesa's WFAN show. "They've just been excellent."

The Bombers' manager praised his team's hitting, pointing out that even in games that they've lost, the Yankees have still been in position to win.

"I look at the games that we lose, and we're in every one of them, and have a chance to win, and have a chance to win in the 9th or tie it," he said.

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In some of those games it might have only been a matter of inches.

"I look at the ball that Judge hit, that diving catch in left field. If he misses it, it's probably two runs and a triple," Girardi said.

He's been particularly pleased with the performance of Gary Sanchez.

"The young man can really hit," he said, "He's back on track and he's hitting the ball really hard."

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On the injury front, Girardi said that while Jacoby Ellsbury has been taking part in some baseball activity, it will be a while before the team gets him back.

But when he returns will he have a spot waiting for him?

"Ells is still a ways away. Hicks has played great in his absence, we all know that," Girardi said.

The first priority will be getting the outfielder healthy. When he returns Girardi sees an opportunity to shuffle players around and rest some of his squad during brutal stretches in which the Yankees will play thirteen or fourteen games in a row.