Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez’ right elbow underwent an MRI late yesterday afternoon in Tampa to determine why the hinge wasn’t feeling right and why the Yankee pitcher’s velocity dropped to the low 80s in his last start.
According to Yankee brass, results of the MRI weren’t available by the time last night’s game against the Tigers began at Yankee Stadium.
While Hernandez and the Yankees were concerned enough about the elbow to put him on the DL Tuesday, the team’s best pitcher has been concerned about a balky back since spring training to the point where he visited a South Florida specialist on June 19, two days day before having his elbow examined by noted orthopedic surgeon James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala.
“He came to Fort Lauderdale the day after Father’s Day and was examined by Dr. Gieske, the same doctor who operated on Jose Canseco’s back,” El Duque’s agent, Joe Cubas, told The Post yesterday.
The trip to South Florida came one day after the White Sox rocked Hernandez for nine runs and six hits in two-thirds of an inning on June 18. Afterward, Hernandez complained of an elbow problem.
“Dr. Gieske said it was spasms,” he said.
Hernandez, who missed a few days early in spring training with a back problem, was seen by a back specialist after Andrews took a look at the elbow and read a prior MRI. Andrews diagnosed the elbow trouble as a sprain and El Duque missed a start but wasn’t put on the DL.
After turning in two solid outings, Hernandez complained of elbow problems one day after the Marlins spanked him for eight runs and nine hits on July 13.
“Initially, there was pain in the back of the elbow the day after he pitched against the White Sox,” said Cubas, who was confident that yesterday’s MRI wasn’t going to reveal serious structural damage to his clients’ valuable elbow.
Despite an 8-7 record and 4.57 ERA, El Duque is considered the ace of the Yankee staff. “That’s when I talked to [Yankee GM] Brian Cashman and he agreed it would be wise to do some tests.”
According to Cubas, El Duque wanted to pitch through the latest physical problems, which included discomfort in his lower back and legs. However, Cubas got it across to Hernandez that the bigger picture was more important than the short-range one.
“What happened after the Florida Marlins game is that the elbow flared up,” Cubas explained. “El Duque has always played and beaten the odds. He is used to being under pressure and dealing with adversity.
“Two days ago he told me he still had pain in his elbow and lower back area but that he was going to pitch [Wednesday] to prove in his mind that he could pitch in pain.”
That’s when Cubas stepped in.
“I told him that wasn’t the most intelligent thing to do,” Cubas said. “Everybody looks at the last 20 games, not the next 10. I told him it wasn’t smart. He wanted to stay away from the conservative approach, but he is too valuable of a pitcher to take the risk.”
So, El Duque was placed on the DL. He is eligible to come off July 28, and the Yankees firmly believe that he will be ready to pitch by then.
In addition to undergoing the MRI yesterday, El Duque was examined by Dr. Allen Miller in Tampa. He will start a rehab program today at the Yankees’ minor-league complex that will likely not include any type of throwing. The last time El Duque was shut down, he missed 12 days.
“We hope that the two weeks, actually 10 days, is all that is required,” said Yankee manager Joe Torre, who used Roger Clemens last night, will start Andy Pettitte today and plug Dwight Gooden into the rotation tomorrow night.
“But until whatever additional tests he is going to have and that comes back negative, you don’t know for sure.”
While Torre agrees with everybody else that a team never has enough pitching, especially starters, there are signs the Yankees can be as patient as they want to be in regard to El Duque’s recovery thanks to the way others have been working.
Denny Neagle’s eight-inning gem against the Phillies on Tuesday night in his Yankee debut was a much-needed shot in the arm. Clemens was going for his fourth straight win last night, and Pettitte has pitched as well as any Yankee starter this season.
Gooden’s first two outings – a start and a relief appearance – were solid. If the Yankees can get David Cone turned around, it would give them as good a rotation as there is in baseball. That will allow them to take it slow with El Duque.
