Chickenbone Chavez swings bat four times, without shoulders exploding

Great news, Yankiverse! Iron Eric Chavez is rehabbing his gray anatomy somewhere in the Everglades, Tampa, maybe, and our frights nights of IIH June Yankee Employee of the Month-cursed Eduardo Nunez horsing  around at third appear to be numbered.

Full disclosure: I've been a Nuni man from the gitgo. We need youth. But this Edward Chopstickshands bit is growing old. The guy can hit, rare for a Chico Escuaila, but his glove is as soft as Rebekah Brook's teeth. His problems could be mental. Maybe we're spoiled by Jete and Arod. I dunno. But can he really be this lame in the field? How could Nuni have gotten past Trenton, the way he Buckners grounders? Considering the angst over Jesus Montero's defense, could we really have promoted a shortstop to The Show, when he can't make a routine grounder?

Right now, there is no such thing as a routine grounder, when it is hit to Eduardo Nunez. No way he can even serve as a late-inning defensive replacement, the original plan.

So we're back to Chickenbone's rehab.

He went four for five yesterday in the Tampa 22-and-under league. That's good. I like Chavez. He grew up loving Mickey Mantle. Last spring, he became our position player version of Bartolo Colon. Then... snap, crackle, pop. Let's hope he's back. Those matchsticks that he runs on are the only thing standing between four weeks of Eduardo and another horrible, deadline Mark Melancon giveaway -- (so long Andrew Brackman?) -- for a Lance Bergman, or a Melvin Mora, who won't do the job, either.

Take calcium, Chavez. And hurry home.