Yankees outfielder Hideki Matsui, on the disabled list since June 27 with an inflamed left knee, took 45 swings off a tee Tuesday and reported nothing negative, which is a positive for New York.
"I felt pretty good. No pain," he said in a statement issued by the team. "I hope to keep going in a positive direction."
Now Matsui is headed to the team's minor-league complex in Tampa to continue rehabbing. Matsui is hitting .323 in 251 at-bats over 69 games, including seven home runs and 34 RBIs.
"With this type of injury he has, you just take it day by day and hope that each step, when you come back the next day, you can take another step," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.
If he continues in a pain-free direction, Matsui should be able to avoid surgery, embark on a quick rehab assignment and be back with the Yankees after the All-Star break.
But Matsui will have to progress to more intensive drills, then batting practice, and then he could go on a minor-league rehabilitation assignment. The Yankees seem pessimistic that he will be able to do anything but be a designated hitter for the rest of this season, however.Matsui originally was eligible to return for Wednesday's game against the Rays. But when he responded poorly to physical therapy and felt unable to take batting practice over the weekend, those plans changed.
Girardi said season-ending surgery has not been ruled out, especially if Matsui's pain returns when the rehab sessions step up.
"As you start to increase the workload," Girardi said, "you have to see how his leg responds."
The team should know if Matsui will need surgery within the next few weeks. You can bet the Yanks' position in the standings will play a big part in that decision.
Bet on the Yankees at WagerWeb.com
No comments:
Post a Comment