Sheiffield has broken bone in his hand!!

[superspynyg]

http://www.nj.com/sports/ledger/index.ssf?...ll=1&thispage=2

 

Yankees Notebook: Sheffield has broken hand

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

BY ED PRICE

Star-Ledger Staff

 

BOSTON -- Just before being activated from the disabled list last night prior to the Yankees' game against the Red Sox at Fenway Park, Gary Sheffield confirmed he has a broken hamate bone in his left hand.

 

Although the Yankees first called Sheffield's injury a bruised wrist and later amended it to a bruised and sprained hand and wrist, Sheffield spoke about considering surgery to repair a broken hamate, which he said would have kept him out 4-6 weeks.

 

"I've talked to a lot of players that have had this injury," he said, "and they ask, 'Why don't you have it taken out?' But that went away real fast. I don't have time for surgery. Not anymore."

 

Sheffield also confirmed he received an anti-inflammatory injection last week, adding, "I'm not going to tell you what it is, because you'll read into it."

 

With Sheffield back in the No. 3 spot, manager Joe Torre is prepared to drop Alex Rodriguez to fifth in the batting order, behind Jason Giambi (who got last night off).

 

Torre "inadvertently" used that order May 5 at Texas, when Sheffield was reinserted into the lineup and he moved Giambi and Rodriguez down from 3-4 to 4-5.

 

"It felt good to me," Torre said yesterday.

 

"I don't care where I hit," Rodriguez said.

 

Giambi, who had started 31 of the previous 32 games and was in a 4-for-36 slide, agreed with Torre's thought that he needed a break, mostly to combat fatigue.

 

On his seventh-inning homer, Rodriguez thought he popped up -- looking into the air before finding the ball and signaling home run to himself.

 

"I was swinging hard all night but I kept missing," he said. "So I didn't know if I fouled it off or popped it up or what. When I heard the crowd's reaction, that's when I knew."

 

To get Sheffield on the roster, the Yankees designated right-handed reliever Colter Bean for assignment. That left the Yankees with 11 pitchers, but they plan to remedy that today -- likely by sending outfielder Kevin Reese back down and calling up a pitcher, perhaps bringing back lefty Matt Smith.

 

A number of Yankees attended meetings Monday and yesterday between officials from Major League Baseball and the players' union. The Basic Agreement expires on Dec. 19.

 

Reliever Mike Myers, who is on the union's executive board, was at both sessions, which were preliminary discussions and not negotiations on a new agreement.

 

"There's nothing to read into it," Myers said, "because there's nothing there other than ... it's a good sign talks are starting."

 

Team player representative Mike Mussina went Monday, along with Aaron Small, Andy Phillips, Scott Proctor, Bubba Crosby, Reese, Bean and Boston's Mark Loretta. Kelly Stinnett went to yesterday's session.

 

Johnny Damon's homer in the first inning was the 17th leadoff homer of his career, first as a Yankee.

 

Randy Johnson enters tonight's start having failed to finish the seventh inning in five straight starts. He has not gone six straight starts of fewer than seven innings since Aug. 13-Sept. 16, 1989 (seven in a row).

 

The Yankees will skip Aaron Small because of an off day tomorrow. Mussina, Chien-Ming Wang and Jaret Wright are scheduled to pitch against Kansas City this weekend, with Johnson, Small, Mussina and Wang pitching at Detroit.

 

Hitting coach Don Mattingly missed last night's game to attend his son's high school graduation. ... Tanyon Sturtze was scheduled for season-ending arthroscopic surgery on his rotator cuff last night, but the Yankees did not immediately have word on how it went. ... Erubiel Durazo is expected to participate in extended spring training today in preparation for an assignment at Triple-A Columbus. ... Octavio Dotel, working back from elbow surgery, is expected to pitch in extended spring training today.

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Sheffield also confirmed he received an anti-inflammatory injection last week, adding, "I'm not going to tell you what it is, because you'll read into it."

 

Poor, poor Gary. Everybody always bringing up the steroid thing and actually expecting him to be forthright.

 

What a toolbox.