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Johnson Is Expected to Be Out Several Weeks

Odds & News | Webmaster ( Tue 11th, May 2010 )

When Nick Johnson was signed by the Yankees in December to be their designated hitter, they knew exactly what they were receiving: an on-base machine with a long medical history.

Johnson has lived up to that status on both calculations, and now he is probably going to miss some weeks after a MRI exposed a reddened sinew in his right wrist.

A worn out tissue that covers the muscle in his wrist, similar to his injury that required surgery in 2008 and caused him to miss 38 games for Washington. However, it is uncertain whether Johnson injured the same sinew. Even before getting the outcome of the MRI, the Yankees expected to lose him for a short time, and they brought up Kevin Russo from Triple A Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

After Friday's game, Johnson said that his right wrist had been troubling him for awhile but that he lost power in it after taking a swing in the 1st inning. He stayed in for one more at-bat, and then was pulled in the 5th. Johnson received some anti-inflammatory medicine and will stay in New York to receive treatment by Gene Monahan, the head trainer.

When asked how many weeks he expected Johnson to miss, Manager Joe Girardi said, "Some is more than two and less than a lot."

Johnson's .388 on-base percentage couldn't cover up his struggles during April when he hit .138. The Yankees had been bearing in mind to move him from the second spot, now they have no option. Brett Gardner played that role on Saturday, but Girardi said before the game that Nick Swisher could be hitting there more often.

In Johnson's absence, the Yankees don't plan to use a specific player as their designated hitter. Marcus Thames should presume some of those responsibilities, but Girardi will also use some position players like Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez, and Jorge Posada. Posada was held out of the lineup for the 4th game in a row, but he said that his stressed calf muscle is much improved and that Girardi didn't pay attention to his appeals to play on Saturday. Posada was expecting to serve as the designated hitter on Sunday night and then catch on Monday in Detroit.

The Yankees found the versatility of Russo appealing. Russo, who is hitting .302, has played 5 positions for Scranton, 2nd base, short stop, 3rd base, right field and center field.

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