Washington, Fla. -- Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira is doing a really good imitation on the happiest man on earth this spring.

'I feel like a first year again,' he said.

There you decide to go. Pretty much sums it up. Every one of the boring things players accomplish in Spring Training, all of the hard work and bus voyages and all the rest, suddenly possess a different feel.

That's because Teixeira is back out there doing the thing this individual loves, the thing he does greater than almost anyone else on earth. To have hockey taken away, even briefly, has put the whole thing in context.

'You learn from it,Inch he said. 'I appreciate playing the sport now. Not that I believed it was a job or had not been fun. But I realized the amount of fun it really is and how fortunate I am to play.'

The Yankees experience lucky to have Teixeira back as the path to the postseason would be manufactured much easier by him getting one of his usual conditions. In his first three years with the Yanks, he averaged 35 doubles, Thirty seven home runs, 83 taking walks and 114 RBIs. Teixeira won two Precious metal Gloves in that time too.

Perhaps the most important number of those about three seasons was 157. That's how many games Teixeira averaged, and if he can simply catch a break with his well being, everything else probably will take care of themselves.

In 2012, Teixeira missed 39 activities with wrist and calf injuries but still finished with 29 doubles, 24 home runs and an .807 on-base-plus-slugging. And then came 2013, the most frustrating hockey year of his life.

Teixeira started it on the disabled listing after tearing a sheath in their right arm. He went back to play in just 15 activities before undergoing surgery to repair the particular sheath. Six weeks in a cast adopted.

And some perspective.

'That year away, not being able to be with my teammates, sitting down with a cast for five to six weeks, it makes you appreciate if you're healthy and playing the sport,' he said.

The Yankees have already been careful with Teixeira's rehabilitation. He's played in just three video games, in which he's gone 1-for-8. Amongst games, Teixeira has been undergoing therapies and strengthening exercises. Providing he continues to feel good, it is a good bet everything else will get into place.

Teixeira won't accompany this Yankees to Panama this weekend in order to stay on a regular rehabilitation schedule and to use the Yanks' education facilities in Washington. You will discover miles to go before Cracking open Day, but Teixeira is starting to help sound like a man confident about beginning the next chapter associated with his career.

'I am,Inch he said. 'I have been confident. We've also been stuck to a routine. That's one thing. I've for ages been optimistic about it. But concurrently, I want to stick to the schedule and never go crazy and take a step back again. I haven't had any steps backward yet. We hope to remain that.'

When someone asked about force Teixeira might feel to help receive the Yankees back to the 2010 nfl playoffs, he shared another viewpoint.

'I always put pressure in myself to perform,' he was quoted saying. 'That's never been an issue. I actually expect a lot out of me every year. The pressure I've wear myself is to be the player I've always been. If I'm the ball player I've always been, then we're a better team. I need to be healthy and in the middle of the choice and playing Gold hockey glove defense.'

If you're going to point out that will Teixeira is 33 years old and that almost no one is as good from 33 as they were at 27, that's a legitimate place.

But Teixeira has always been meticulous in his prep and conditioning. He has four years remaining on the eight-year, $180 million deal he signed in 2009. It's reasonable to believe Teixeira will have a possible opportunity to be productive right through no more that contract, even though this individual not ever reproduce his 39-homer, 122-RBI quantities of that first Yankee time of year.

Still, Teixeira ought to be plenty good. The actual Yankees love their outfield connected with Carlos Beltran, Brett Gardner and Jacoby Ellsbury. They're cautiously beneficial about Derek Jeter's comeback season and as well their pitching staff.

But Johnson Cano's departure to the Mariners has left a huge hole in the the offense and even Alex Rodriguez, despite declining figures, was an important piece of the particular puzzle.

Plenty of those numbers could be provided by a big year via Teixeira, and so far there's no motive to think he can't still be very good.

Winnipeg -- The Cubs acquired left-hander Felix Doubront through the Red Sox on Wednesday, expecting His benefits from a change of scenery.

The Cubs sent a player to be named to the Red Sox in exchange for Doubront, 26, who has seemed in 17 games for the Red Sox this season (10 begins) and totaled 59 1/3 innings. His was 2-4 with a 6.'07 ERA and will be reunited in Winnipeg with Theo Epstein, who was Boston's gm when Doubront was signed with 2005 and is now the Cubs' chief executive of hockey operations.

The Canines did not say when or maybe where Doubront would report, as well as manager Rick Renteria said His was not that familiar with the lefty. Doubront was unhappy in Boston ma because His wanted a chance to begin.

'The thing is, if the [Red Sox] say I have to prove myself, I already did, man,In . Doubront told Boston media upon Sunday. 'It's [messed up]. So if these guys say I have to pitch to verify whatever, no, they already know things i have. I showed these what I have as a circuit breaker and as a starter. In my opinion, they don't see the numbers, it doesn't care what I've done during the past. It's hard to be happy like this with these guys.'

Will a new staff help Doubront?

'I don't necessarily subscribe to the chance of scenery,' Red Sox manager John Farrell told this media in Boston with Wednesday. 'Can it invigorate someone in a new surrounding? But as I talked with him or her a little bit a while ago, if this [trade] really does come to fruition, the work is definitely going to be needed, regardless of where anyone pitch or the role by which you're pitching in.

'He possesses performed well for us a duration of time, and it can't be elegant the importance of his relief looks last year in the World Series,Inches Farrell said. 'Those were two vital outings by him, and that His did a great job.'

Doubront appeared into two games in the League Championship Series and two World Collection games, and gave up a single earned run over seven innings.

Farrell mentioned the problem with Doubront was a deficiency of consistency.

'When you talk about almost any pitcher, not just in this situation, persistence is driven from a plethora of possibilities,' Farrell told reporters. 'Every gambler has maintenance in their function routine. In a pitcher's case, his delivery to repeat, in order to consistently throw strikes, to be aware of game situations.

'I can't claim that there was one thing that brought about him [problems]. ... His did experience the one fatigue outing where by His spent some time about the [disabled list] after that,' Farrell said. 'But His seemed to never get on some sort of roll like His would last year, where it was 12-15, 16 straight starts regarding three runs or a smaller amount. That was missing this year.'

On Monday, Doubront gave up six runs on 6-8 hits and two walks within two-thirds of an inning against the Blue Jays. Following the outing, the lefty was requested if His was 'disinterested.'

'I don't know that two nights in the past triggered a trade,' Farrell told reporters in Celtics. 'I don't think any trade simply just happens overnight. I wouldn't state it's a direct result of of which.'

Doubront will be eligible for arbitration throughout 2015 and won't be a free realtor until 2018.

'The way I feel today, I have no complaints,In he said.