Just when it appeared that the New York Yankees were finally getting healthy, its one step forward and one step back for the club. Despite missing Derek Jeter, Curtis Granderson, Alex Rodriguez, and Mark Teixeira to start the season, the Yankees are in first place in the American League East. Granderson recently returned to the lineup, and early Friday word broke that Mark Teixeira would likely be the next Bronx Bomber to return. Then, Friday night, just as Yankee fans were starting to look forward to a healthier lineup, a new injury to Granderson would rear its ugly head.
Teixeira has been out since spring training due to a tendon sheath issue in his wrist. He has been cleared to return by doctors, and will play two games in a rehab assignment with the Yankees’ AA affiliate in Trenton on next Wednesday and Thursday. If all goes well he could be back in the Yankees lineup by late next week.
The Yankees have been using Lyle Overbay as a fill in for Teixeira, and while Overbay has played better than anyone could have expected, the return of the regular starting First Baseman and Yankees’ slugger, Teixeira should provide the Yanks with a boost at the plate. Teixeira, 33, hit .251/.332/.475 with 24 home runs, and 84 RBIs in 123 games last season. In his previous three years for the Yankees, he averaged 37 home runs and 114 RBIs.
Meanwhile Granderson was hit by a pitch in the Yanks win over fellow AL East foe, the Tampa Bay Rays. He left the game and the Yankees have confirmed that x-rays have shown a broken knuckle on his left hand. Granderson is expected to miss a minimum of 4 weeks recovering from the injury.
The team with the highest payroll in baseball will have to keep plugging away with scrap heap all-stars like Overbay, and Vernon Wells continuing to get regular at bats, at least for a little while longer.
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