Bad Break for Yankee Fans - Sheffield Hurt.

Search

New member
Joined
Jul 20, 2002
Messages
75,154
Tokens
Sheffield could be out two to three months because of thumb
By Ronald Blum, Associated Press, 3/8/2004 14:40

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) Yankees slugger Gary Sheffield could be sidelined up to three months because of an injured right thumb.

Sheffield was hurt in a spring training game Saturday against Toronto. At first, the Yankees thought the injury was just a bruise. But after an MRI exam Sunday, the team decided to send him to Dr. Melvin Rosenwasser, a hand expert in New York.

''Now I'm officially worried about it,'' general manager Brian Cashman said.

Cashman said the worst-case scenario would be that Sheffield needs surgery, meaning he would be out two to three months. There are no signs of a break, Cashman said, but he would not say whether there was ligament damage.

The best-case scenario, Cashman said, would be that the right fielder could return for spring training games.

The Yankees open the season with two games against Tampa Bay in Tokyo on March 30-31.

''These things are tricky, so we want to make sure that we have a specialist give us an opinion of what exactly is going on with that thumb,'' Cashman said. ''It could be an old injury, or it could be a new one. We'll find out.''

Sheffield left the Atlanta Braves in the offseason to sign a $39 million, three-year contract with the Yankees. He was among players who testified before a federal grand jury that indicted Barry Bonds' personal trainer for illegal distribution of steroids. Sheffield has denied using steroids.

He was hurt trying to get to a fly ball by Orlando Hudson that landed for a triple. Sheffield downplayed the injury, describing it as ''nothing major.''

''I could play right now if I had to,'' he said. ''It's just a little sore. I've got all my range and motion and (I'm) doing everything with it. They don't want me to take a chance.''

Asked whether he were worried, Yankees owner George Steinbrenner responded: ''Sure I am.'' But he also added: ''I'm sure he's going to be OK.''

New York already is without center fielder Bernie Williams, who had an appendectomy and will probably miss the season-opening series in Tokyo.

Sheffield said he aggravated an injury from last season, when he was hurt July 10 during a headfirst slide in Chicago.

''I stole a base, third base, and I kind of jarred it a little bit,'' he said. ''From that day on my thumb was sore. I've been treating it since that time, and it's just starting to get better, and I banged it up again. It just feels like somebody jammed you with a pitch. The next time you go out in the outfield and come back, it hurts like that. Nothing more. The swelling has gone down a lot.''

Cashman said the Yankees were not aware of the hand injury when they agreed to the deal with Sheffield, who passed a physical.

''There is not an issue here for me on a pre-existing injury,'' Cashman said. Notes: LHP Danny Borrell was optioned to Triple-A Columbus, and RHP Chien-Ming Wang was optioned to Double-A Trenton.

wil.
 

New member
Joined
Sep 21, 2004
Messages
8,781
Tokens
Yeah lots of tears lost over that one, especially up in Mass...
 

Banned
Joined
Sep 20, 2004
Messages
80,046
Tokens
Too many injuries associated with the headfirst slide...not worth it IMO...just slide like Lou Brock use to...he was a pretty good baserunner
 

RX Senior
Joined
Apr 20, 2002
Messages
47,431
Tokens
"....he was a pretty good baserunner...."

yea, you could say that. . .
 

RX Senior
Joined
Apr 20, 2002
Messages
47,431
Tokens
yup then shef will have to go to the minors for a week or two to get his timing back. oh man, this is such awful news.
dance.gif
 

Active member
Joined
Oct 20, 1999
Messages
75,444
Tokens
Hear come he sob stories from the YANKEES fans, I can sense it allready.
 

New member
Joined
Jul 20, 2002
Messages
75,154
Tokens
Thumb's up no surgery right now for Sheffield
By Ronald Blum, Associated Press, 3/9/2004 14:25

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) Gary Sheffield got a thumb's up from a hand specialist Tuesday and will return to spring training instead of having surgery to repair a torn ligament.

The right fielder, who reinjured his thumb last weekend, was examined in New York by Dr. Melvin Rosenwasser. Sheffield immediately headed back to Tampa and will resume playing later this week.

''Gary Sheffield is one tough cookie, an exceptional athlete and a leader with tremendous determination to win,'' Yankees owner George Steinbrenner said. ''He will be a big factor for the Yankees, and I applaud his courage.''

Sheffield originally hurt his right thumb last July 10 while sliding headfirst into third base for the Atlanta Braves. The torn ligament went undetected, and he hit .327 after the injury with 17 homers and 62 RBIs in 69 games.

''He swung the bat with supersonic speed last year,'' Braves general manager John Schuerholz said. ''If that's what happens with somebody who has a hurt thumb, we're going to see to it that all our players go through that. The guy had the best bat speed of anybody I've ever seen in my life.''

Sheffield, who signed a $39 million, three-year contract with the Yankees as a free agent, aggravated the injury Saturday when trying to get to a fly ball hit by Toronto's Orlando Hudson. It landed for a triple.

The Yankees initially thought it was just a bruise, but the team began to worry after tests revealed the tear.

''We're not out of the woods on this, don't get me wrong,'' general manager Brian Cashman said. ''But today's news was certainly more encouraging.''

Sheffield was at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center at 6:30 a.m. for the exam. An operation to repair a torn thumb ligament typically requires two to three months of recovery time.

''Based on the hand specialist's evaluation today, all the information provided MRIs, X-rays, Gary's history, an onsite evaluation of his hand the recommendation right now was that surgery wasn't actually necessary, but it still remains an option,'' Cashman said.

''If we feel it's not working, if Gary feels it isn't working, then, obviously, he'll have to have the surgery.''

But, Cashman added, ''Most likely, he'll be fine.''

Schuerholz and Braves manager Bobby Cox said Sheffield never complained about the injury or gave the team cause to think it was serious.

''He's like an old-timer rub some dirt on it and go,'' Schuerholz said.

''The bone ain't showing, you play,'' said Cox.

Sheffield is a seven-time All-Star who also has played for Milwaukee, San Diego, Florida and Los Angeles. Overall last season, he hit .330 with 39 homers and 132 RBIs, finishing third behind Barry Bonds and Albert Pujols in voting for the NL MVP award.

Sheffield was among players who testified during the offseason before a federal grand jury that indicted Barry Bonds' personal trainer for illegal distribution of steroids. Sheffield has denied using steroids.

wil.
 

RX Senior
Joined
Apr 20, 2002
Messages
47,431
Tokens
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>''We're not out of the woods on this, don't get me wrong,'' general manager Brian Cashman said. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

lol. . leave it to cashman to make a statement like that about a guys thumb
 

RX Senior
Joined
Apr 20, 2002
Messages
47,431
Tokens
how did he really hurt his thumb? i think it was when he was trying to carry that big ol balco box all by himself when he should have got some help, and then bumped into something he couldnt see.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
1,106,145
Messages
13,433,409
Members
99,281
Latest member
king88fans
The RX is the sports betting industry's leading information portal for bonuses, picks, and sportsbook reviews. Find the best deals offered by a sportsbook in your state and browse our free picks section.FacebookTwitterInstagramContact Usforum@therx.com