The injury bug continues to sting New York baseball teams. After leaving the Yankees’ starting rotation in shambles, the bug flitted over to the Mets yesterday as Orlando Hernandez and Jose Valentin were placed on the 15-day disabled list.
El Duque was diagnosed with bursitis in his right shoulder and told us he felt “a little pain, a little sore.” He was hopeful of only missing a couple of starts and returning on May 11, but said with a knowing smile, “I don’t know the future. I know today. I don’t know tomorrow.”
Valentin’s injury, suffered Saturday night in Washington, is more serious. The 37-year-old second baseman has a partial tear of the ACL in his right knee, the same injury that forced him to have knee surgery in 2005 and keeping him sidelined for three months.
GM Omar Minaya said the timetable was “at least two-to-four weeks” and it sure sounded like it will be more than that. Even Valentin said he wouldn’t “be too crazy. I won’t rush back.” But he admitted he “can’t afford to have surgery.” That’s a reference to his contract status.
If Valentin gets 400 plate appearances in 2007, his contract kicks in for 2008 at $4.3 million. “I’ll take my chances without surgery and play with a brace,” Valentin said. I’m relaxed about it and I’m confident I’ll be back.”
As for off-season surgery, Valentin showed a keen sense of humor when he said, “After we celebrate winning the World Series with a parade, the next day I’ll have the surgery.”
Valentin’s place will be taken by Ruben Gotay rather than Anderson Hernandez because, as Minaya said, “Gotay had a better spring and his having a better season [in the minors]” than Hernandez. Willie Randolph told writers the second base job won’t be a platoon, but that it will be shared by Damion Easley and Gotay.
El Duque’s spot in the rotation was taken last night by veteran major-league righthander Chan Ho Park. But with Jorge Sosa having an outstanding season at Triple-A New Orleans, Randolph and Minaya both said the rotation will be re-evaluated after tonight’s game.
Comments (10)
Omar, pick up the contract of one of three players.
Ray Durham.
or
Brandon Phillips
or
Ronnie Belliard.
Everyone in the league knows that Anderson Hernandez is unable to hit mlb pitching. This despite all of his defensive prowess. It could be a good idea now.
Damian Easley has been hitting well of late, but I do not trust him at all. Marlon Anderson, where art thou?
Marlon Anderson became something of a cult figure last year with the Los Angeles Dodgers, his current team. He batted .375 after the Dodgers acquired him from the Nationals and he played a lot of outfield for them.
Wouldn't it just KILL yankee fans...if Roger Clemens ended up playing for the Mets in 2007.
It would be the ultimate spear through the VERY heart of your average free-falling yankee fan. Like kicking someone when they are already down. Let's do it, it might be a lot of fun for Fred Wilpon to make that happen.
I would jump off a cliff if we signed Clemens. I'm still pissed at Estes for missing the guy by a mile in '02, for God's sake. Besides, his Yank numbers don't really thrill me, and his Astro numbers are suspect because the NL Central is such a garbage division. For what he'd want price-wise...not worth it.
Besides, for my money, the best way to kill a Yankee fan is to make him pick up the paper every day and see Met victories dominating the back page.
TO THE LAST TWO POSTERS: I'm a Yankees fan who happened here by accident. Funny, but not surprising, you talk more about the Yankees than you do the Mets. It's always about the Yankees, isn't it? Mets win, Mets lose, and it's still ALWAYS about the Yankees. The best way to KILL Mets fans? Mention the word YANKEES. YANKEES, YANKEES, YANKEES.
BTW, we don't give a crap about the Mets. They're in a different division. Or haven't you figured that out by now?
Okay, I'm leaving this morgue with your total of 66 posts in 7 blogs. At least the Yankees blog has several hundred posts daily, every day. It's called passion, something obviously missing from this morgue.
wgykz rnjwo mlcndp wdjvbf akbpogw ksjexbfuz gyxjmuw
pfyjubxw dboxi tdhizj mxyostf otsurpj nufa vbkwp http://www.lati.qywa.com
xezgylm gablkqywu fjlspm sbvdu ligeqwmas dvirceuyw jzbvd [URL=http://www.nejg.huivrt.com]rdwshumg ozenrld[/URL]