Time is running out for the New York Yankees to extend their amazing playoff streak, but DH Hideki Matsui (sore left knee) could start playing in rehab games by the end of the week.
He's expected to run the bases soon, one of the final steps before playing in rehab games. Matsui had surgery on his right knee during the offseason, but decided not to have surgery on his left knee last month in an effort to rejoin the Yankees this season.
"So far, it's been well," Matsui said. "There's no doubt about it, I feel confident now if I keep progressing."
Matsui has appeared in 69 games this season, hitting .323 with seven homers and 34 RBIs. If he returns to the Yankees, it would be solely as a DH. Manager Joe Girardi said that the presences of both Matsui and catcher Jorge Posada, who is lost for the season with right shoulder surgery, have been missed.
"You look at them both and they're very good hitters," Girardi said. "They've been productive, year after year. You do miss those kinds of people."
Meanwhile, pitcher Joba Chamberlain is scheduled to begin playing catch on Friday, when the Yankees open a three-game series at Yankee Stadium with the Royals.Chamberlain was placed on the 15-day disabled list last Wednesday with tendinitis in his pitching shoulder. He was removed from an Aug. 2 start at Texas in the fifth inning after feeling stiffness and a "grabbing" sensation while delivering his pitches.
Chamberlain was 4-3 with a 2.63 ERA, including a 3-1 mark with a 2.76 ERA since becoming a starter in early June. The Yanks don’t want to put a timetable on his return, although the 22-year-old says he can return before the end of August.
"I guess anything's possible," said Girardi, who added that he's "not necessarily so sure" Chamberlain will need a minor-league rehabilitation assignment.
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