Gardner has high expectations for 2021

Outfielder Brett Gardner is in his 14th season with the Yankees and his expectations are high even though some of his teammates, like first baseman Luke Voit and reliever Zack Britton, will start the season on the injured list.

Gardner made it known on a Zoom call on Monday that he wants to go to the World Series for the first time since 2009, and he sees similarities between the ’09 club and this year’s club.

Gardner, 37, loves the pitching additions the Yankees made before the start of the season. Right-hander Corey Kluber is expected to pitch the second game of the season against the Blue Jays and right-hander Jameson Taillon has recovered from Tommy John surgery and is expected to be a major contributor to the rotation.

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Gardner loves New York's depth, too. With Voit out of commission for now, Jay Bruce will play first base and add power to the lineup. The Yankees start the regular season at 1:05 p.m. ET Thursday against the Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium.

“We have been short the last few years, but I do feel like we have a really good team,” Gardner said. “I like our chances. Just take one day at a time. Get guys healthy and let’s see where this takes us. I expect this to be a fun year.”

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Gardner is expected to be a major contributor off the bench. He finished 9-for-31 (.290) this spring and said his body is in a good place and his swing is coming along.

“I knew what the situation was. I knew the personnel coming in. For me, I will just go out there and continue to work, continue to try,” Gardner said. “I will find ways to get better, push my team. ... Everybody knows I want to be out there and I want to play, whether it’s Opening Day or Game 2 or Game 3. I feel I’m in a good position to be ready for whatever I’m asked to do. I’m excited to see where the season takes us and [to] have a lot of fun.”

Germán ready for Yankee Stadium
Considering he was out of the game for more than a year, Domingo Germán had a great spring, sporting a 1.38 ERA and striking out 17 and walking one across 13 innings. He will now pitch the third game of the regular season, on Sunday against the Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium. It will be his first appearance in a regular-season game since Sept. 18, 2019, against the Angels.

Germán was suspended for 81 games for violation of Major League Baseball’s policy against domestic violence.

“I didn’t think I had a spot,” Germán said. “When they told me [I would be pitching Sunday], I was very happy about it, extremely excited. I think I had a good spring here. ... I’m happy overall with the decision on everything that has come down in camp.”

Germán started Monday's 5-2 loss to the Tigers in Tampa, Fla., allowed two runs across four innings, struck out four and did not walk a batter.

Worth noting
• A couple of days after they were released by the Yankees, outfielder Derek Dietrich and catcher Robinson Chirinos have returned to the team and will report to the alternate training site. Right-hander Jhoulys Chacin was also released on Monday.

• The Yankees announced that right-hander Deivi García is the recipient of the 2021 James P. Dawson Award, awarded to the top rookie in camp each spring.

In five spring games, García, the No. 3 prospect in the Yankees' system according to MLB Pipeline, posted a 3.86 ERA with 14 strikeouts in 14 innings.

In conjunction with the award, García received a watch from Oris.