Pregame notes: Teixeira could skip entire Reds series
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Notes on May 19, 2012 
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Rest was the final option. Mark Teixeira had seen multiple doctors and been prescribed several remedies. When nothing solved his lingering couch, Joe Girardi met with him last night to suggest taking three days off. Teixeira sat out last night, he’ll sit out today and Girardi said he “might” give Teixeira tomorrow as well.
“Originally he told me no last night,” Girardi said. “It’s difficult. He wants to be out there. Tex is a ballplayer and wants to play every day, but I just said, ‘You know what Tex, watching what you’re going through, I just don’t think a day is enough. Let’s try something else.’ And if we can’t get rid of it with two or three days off, we’ll know that the rest isn’t necessarily going to help it and we’ll have to find some other way.”
Teixeira got sick at the Welcome Home dinner last night, and although doctors say the virus is gone, his airways are inflamed, making breathing difficult. He’s had coughing fits during games, he’s occasionally skipped batting practice and his energy level has been affected.
Through it all, Teixeira has insisted he’s healthy enough to play, and he’s actually hit .296/.345/.481 in his past seven games. His overall production, though, has been far worse than the Yankees hoped and expected.
“We’ve tried everything,” Teixeira said. “That’s why rest is like the last effort here. I’ve taken more medicine than I’d like to. I think we’re done with that option. Rest is kind of the final straw here for us. … I’ve seen specialists that say it may just be a matter of time. Unfortunately you want it to be better right away, but nothing to be worried about because all the tests are OK. It is what it is.”
• What if rest doesn’t do the trick for Teixeira? “Then you just adapt,” he said. “I think that’s the issue. I’ve been fighting through it for over a month so I’ll be able to do it again.”
• Dave Robertson still felt discomfort in his oblique on Thursday (he could feel it when he coughed). That’s not a huge surprise because he was supposed to wait 10 days before really testing it, and that’s still the plan. He last pitched last Friday. “We’ll wait until day 10 and then we’ll make a decision if he’s ready,” Girardi said.
• Brett Gardner will be evaluated today to determine whether his elbow is ready to begin swinging a bat again.
• Girardi said he’ll monitor Ivan Nova during warmups and through the early innings to make sure he’s not favoring that sprained ankle. The Yankees don’t expect it to be an issue.
• Both David Phelps and Freddy Garcia are available in case Nova’s ankle doesn’t let him pitch.
• Nick Swisher has started at first in back-to-back games because of Teixeira’s absence. Girardi said he might use Eric Chavez at first base tomorrow and put Swisher back in right field (personally, I can’t help wondering if Dewayne Wise might start in center field tomorrow so that Curtis Granderson can get his first DH day of the year, but that’s strictly a guess).
• Why not just send Teixeira home to rest rather than have him sit around in the dugout? “You could do that,” Girardi said. “But you do have emergencies when you might need him. And sometimes – put this in a nice way – when you have young kids, you get more rest at the ballpark.”
Associated Press photos
Yankee Trader May 19th, 2012 at 11:49 am
Some on the blog were quick to say that Teixeira was OK to play, because otherwise the teams Doctors would have suggested otherwise. Who knows what the team physician suggested to the Yankee brass? Girardi is on record having asked Teixeira on a daily basis, if he needed a day off, and Tex stubbornly refused it saying he still could contribute.
Joe should have just told Tex to go home and have his doctor call him when he was healthy enough to contribute without worsening the condition.
————————————————————————————————————————-
Teixeira and Pineda had the same problem. Girardi asked both on a daily basis if there was anything wrong. Short of benching a suspected sick or injured player for his own good, not much more they can do. Swisher wouldn’t be my choice to play first base, but, he’s the best option. It’s not for the lack of effort as much as it is ability, though he is better than Billy Butler, who would be my bat of choice to DH and fill in.
GB-
In Teixeira’s case he apparently was not getting better. If this was a form of bronchial asthma not relieved by corticosteroids and inhalers, then continued playing on a daily basis with was subjecting him to continual triggers:
Bronchial asthma triggers may include:
Smoking and secondhand smoke
Infections such as colds, flu, or pneumonia
Allergens such as food, pollen, mold, dust mites, and pet dander
Exercise
Air pollution and toxins
Weather, especially extreme changes in temperature
Drugs (such as aspirin, NSAID, and beta-blockers)
Food additives (such as MSG)
Emotional stress and anxiety
Singing, laughing, or crying
Perfumes and fragrances
Acid reflux
I like the “crying” one. Could we as bloggers, crying over his daily non-production, have made him worse?
Good morning guys,
I was hoping to get to chat with MTU…If you are still around, I am sorry that i didn’t get to answer yesterday’s post. I had a hectic day at the office. It’s good to see you around, it must have been such a sacrifice to show JCPD around!
Glad to hear you had a blast, and even happier to have you back around.
Good thing that they have given Tex another day off. Drob, we need you, just don’t start to soon to work that muscle.
Pineda threw pitch after pitch, looking uncomfortable and agitated in that ST game, while Girardi and Rothschild sat there and let him do it. That may not have caused the injury, but it certainly stressed out a guy who clearly wasn’t right, and soon after, his shoulder gave.
A player’s response to “are you good to go” should not end the inquiry, especially a young pitcher – whose new GM, for all the world, said “if he doesn’t have that changeup, I’ll have made a huge mistake”, right after acquiring the guy. Plus, the manager and GM shouted from the rooftops “Show us your velo” in a ST game, as if it was do or die. Guess which is was…
Teixeira should have said I need a day, since he’s a veteran, but as it’s obvious with Jeter, these guys will run themselves into the ground to help their team: that’s the good and the bad.
I like the “crying” one. Could we as bloggers, crying over his daily non-production, have made him worse?
=========================
Good morning trader!!
What was the word you said a few days ago?? Plagiarism?? HAHAHA!!!
Billy Butler would be nice, but looking at his contract, he’s a tad expensive if used only as a DH.
12:$8M, 13:$8M, 14:$8M, 15:$12.5M club option ($1M buyout)
option may increase by $2M to $14.5M based on performance
assignment bonus if traded
Hi luis!
I bet Tex, aside from his lungs, could also use a mental break. He’s probably also putting undue pressure on himself because of his frustrations with the shift, his swing, etc.
Not a bad idea to take a step back, let the mind have a bit of peace and the body some healing time.
Luis-
No it’s:
To steal ideas from one person is Plagiarism. To steal from many is research.
Are we talking about Tex having the Plague?
Hi JAP!,
You were missed last night…I guess you went either to YS or to watch Man Ban pitch…I agree with your post that he was handled very poorly…As well as with Jeter and Tex, the only thing i would add is that i don’t think rest is going to help with Tex Left handed swing
Pettitte pitched a gem last night.
Trader,
Don’t they “need” the DH for Alex, Jeter, et al? Can’t have a strict DH – isn’t that their story?
luis,
I went to see Vintage Andy! Honestly, I could see from the Mariners’ game that Andy was on his way. Doesn’t rely on velo, so he just needed to jumpstart his cutter, which was mad last night. If Hughes could throw a RH version of that, he wouldn’t have to junk that pitch!
I tried to cue up ManBan archive about an hour ago, but their cameras weren’t working. They said they would get it straightened out, but as I have to bolt soon, I didn’t have time to sit it out (the fast forward thing never works, because if I use it, the screen just freezes, then it’s logout, login, on and on). I thought I’d have time to watch Manny, because he wasn’t in all that long, but couldn’t hang around and wait.
Glad Robi is getting a blow in the field. Too bad Nunez is out with the thumb – it would be nice to have him to stick at 2B tonight.
Not going today, but I’ll guess that the Vato will have his mojo this afternoon! I’m leaving soon, but will check in later.
Primo et al: have a good one.
Yankee Trader May 19th, 2012 at 12:17 pm
Luis-
No it’s:
To steal ideas from one person is Plagiarism. To steal from many is research.
Are we talking about Tex having the Plague?
===============================
About Tex’s plague, he may have a low intensity infection caused by half alive/ half not living organism (virus/bacteria). I had it probably for three to four months before they figure it out. And only after a supposedly allergic attack. It has no big symptoms, that’s why it is very hard to diagnose.
JAP-
I respect your opinion, but if I agreed with you on Pineda, we’d both be wrong!
Luis-
Like that one?
The real questions with Pineda were, did he have an injury at the end of last season. He was checked out thoroughly by CT scan and phyical strength testing and passed. Now maybe a dye contrast CT study should be done on all pitchers instead of a plain CT, but there is controversy whether there are false positives with that.
Perhaps by doing nothing in the offseason he injured the shoulder lifting, as Nick said, his fork a few thousand times.
I think it’s a little unfair to blame Girardi and Rothschild unless you know all the facts. Once Girardi, after leaving the Yankees, will write a book, and let us all know!
Just my paltry 2 cents.
Take care Primo, have a good one.
Yup, Pettitte was outstanding last night! Never had a doubt after what i saw in his debut, he just was a little rusty on that one. Last night he was the Andy of old.
Don’t they “need” the DH for Alex, Jeter, et al? Can’t have a strict DH – isn’t that their story?
————————————
JAP-I was responding to GB.
Luis-Without examining Tex, I can’t be certain what he has. But after looking over Chad’s posts, Tex clearly has reactive airway disease, which is being triggered by something or various things. Until he gets those triggers under control he probably won’t be 100%
“Tex clearly has reactive uppercutpullevrything disease”
/fixed
Yankee Trader May 19th, 2012 at 12:30 pm
JAP-
I respect your opinion, but if I agreed with you on Pineda, we’d both be wrong!
Luis-
Like that one?
The real questions with Pineda were, did he have an injury at the end of last season. He was checked out thoroughly by CT scan and phyical strength testing and passed. Now maybe a dye contrast CT study should be done on all pitchers instead of a plain CT, but there is controversy whether there are false positives with that.
Perhaps by doing nothing in the offseason he injured the shoulder lifting, as Nick said, his fork a few thousand times.
I think it’s a little unfair to blame Girardi and Rothschild unless you know all the facts. Once Girardi, after leaving the Yankees, will write a book, and let us all know!
Just my paltry 2 cents.
============================
Exactly!! I love that phrase, because it is so funny and yet so appropriate at the same time.
About Pineda, you may be right about him being hurt from either last season or during the winter. But i have to say that some posters realized he was lowering the shoulder in that start from the beginning, that’s a clear symptom of injury and yet they allowed him to pitch. That wasn’t very smart. Declaring that that last start was make or break wasn’t either. All i am saying is that he could have been handled better.
Hello, all.
YT, does Teix have any history of this kind of thing? I’ve had two bouts of bacterial pneumonia, and even after that was “cured”, it took me more than a month to recover strength. You cant mess around with these things.
Time to go. Have a great day. I’ll check back later for any comments.
Luis- Another one-You’re never too old to learn something stupid.
Go Yankees.
Nova- I hoped you learned something from Sensei last night on how to pitch to the Reds.
Tar May 19th, 2012 at 12:39 pm
“Tex clearly has reactive uppercutpullevrything disease”
/fixed
======================
Spot on!
that one is very good!
Trader,
That one is awesome! LOL Take care, have a good one.
that is the best news ever. he should skip the next 9 or 10 series as well.
Tom-
I don’t know if Tex has a history of Asthma. If he had bacterial pneumonia he probably would have been hospitalized on IV antibiotic treatment.
Have to really go
Hi Tom,
Pneumonia is not a sickness to take lightly. And probably kept you very weak for weeks.
Players tend to be warriors. If you ask them if they are ok to play, they are likely to say yes.
So it should be beyond obvious that you have to look at performance. As bad as Tex has been (or as low as Pineda’s velo was), that should be the tell on whether or not to play them.
The cost of not doing that with Pineda may have ended his career, or at least put a hard ceiling on it.
They should never repeat that mistake.
I’m LMAO. Hope I don’t pull an oblique.
Now I’m really gone!
BTW-
I meant to say dye contrast MRI vs plain MRI, not a CT scan.
Bye now.
” Have to really go” “LMAO”
I was going to ask#1 or #2 but I didn’t think it was appropiate.
Has anybody seen m post recently? I haven’t seen her around and she is missed.
Tex has sucked for the entire season so far, because of Welcome Home dinner last night.
Just a guess Tar, but I suspect that m doesn’t like negativity (I view it as realism, but that’s why I am still posting).
luis,
Couldn’t afford the hospital stay YT recommended (no insurance), but each time, the drugs I took cost nearly $2500. Couldn’t go back to work (at a very physical job) for a month and even then, was put on “light duty”. Worst feeling I ever had ( at least until the hip blew out).
Tar,
I didn’t know that M was a lady. No, i haven’t seen her since probably last days of April, but i was on a trip, so i didn’t have to much time to post.
Rich
I don’t think she does either, but I doubt that would keep her away. Hope she’s well and I’m going to send good thoughts her way.
“I didn’t know that M was a lady.”
Luis
If there has been one constant of LoHud, it is the quality of the female posters this blog has. Second to none.
Tar,
I hope a few more of them come back. Miss them.
tomingeorgia May 19th, 2012 at 12:53 pm
luis,
Couldn’t afford the hospital stay YT recommended (no insurance), but each time, the drugs I took cost nearly $2500. Couldn’t go back to work (at a very physical job) for a month and even then, was put on “light duty”. Worst feeling I ever had ( at least until the hip blew out).
============================
I don’t want to even think about how much pain the hip must have caused. And Tom, insurance is a need, take a large deductible if you will, but always have one. Not having it could mean bankruptcy or not having the right medical care, which i guess you know what it could mean.
Tar May 19th, 2012 at 12:59 pm
“I didn’t know that M was a lady.”
Luis
If there has been one constant of LoHud, it is the quality of the female posters this blog has. Second to none.
==========================
I must say that i agree. They are kinder and more respectful than men, especially M. I do hope that she comes back.
luis,
I have insurance now, for sure. Medicare ( and all the private supplements to it) helps out. But back in the day, it was prohibitive. Besides, back then I was young and healthy, and nothing could happen to me!
Tom In Georgia and the rest of the Vets,
Happy Armed Forces Day.
GB7,
And to you! There’s a big celebration down in Augusta all day today, with 45 minutes of fireworks! Wish I could be there.
YES just showed an interview with Texiera. He sounded bad. Interesting when she asked if he is any better, he said “I’m no worse, which is a good thing.”
Was it 2 or 3 years ago Jeter had some kind of bronchial thing going on? He missed two or three games, but he coughed the whole rest of the season. Any time you saw him exert himself, he was coughing. Even after swinging the bat. That was the worst season of his career and I often wonder if it was because of the “cold” he had early in the season.
Hopefully this won’t be something that lingers like that with Tex. We surely need him at first base.