CHICAGO – It appeared the Yankees avoided big problems with Johnny Damon and Jason Giambi last night at U.S. Cellular Field.
When Joe Torre’s lineup was slapped on the clubhouse door leading to the dugout, Damon was batting leadoff and playing center field and Giambi was hitting fifth as the DH against the White Sox.
“They are in there,” Torre said of Damon and Giambi. “Johnny said he felt good. If something happens during practice, we will back it off.” Damon left Wednesday night’s 7-6 win in the fourth inning due to a strained right groin muscle.
Giambi was forced out of Tuesday’s 6-5 defeat when he was hit on the right elbow in the eighth inning.
Considering they have lost Hideki Matsui, Gary Sheffield and Robinson Cano for extended stretches, it wasn’t overreacting to think Damon or Giambi, or both, were hurt more seriously.
Especially Damon, whose game is highly dependent on his legs.
“I am going into the game not worry about it,” said Damon, who suffered the injury rounding second on his way to a leadoff triple in the first inning Wednesday night. Damon stayed in the game and popped out in the third. He didn’t take the field for the fourth.
“During batting practice and shagging [flies], that’s the time to worry about it and see how it feels.” But once Damon stepped in against former Yankee Javier Vazquez, Damon wasn’t going to hold back.
“I am going to run the bases and go after fly balls. If something grabs I won’t be playing,” Damon said.
As for Giambi, he was ready to hit Tuesday night, but since Torre wanted to use Bernie Williams as the DH because he had success against Jon Garland, Giambi sat it out.
Throwing, which isn’t Giambi’s biggest asset, was a problem because he couldn’t feel his right middle finger due to the ball hitting a nerve in the elbow.
Before batting practice last night, Giambi didn’t test his throwing ability.
“It’s better,” Giambi said of the hinge that was black and blue. “A lot of the swelling went down. I am the DH for sure.” Considering the Yankees have blended Bobby Abreu into the lineup without a hitch and Cano played outstanding in his first two games back from a six-week stint on the DL due to a balky left hamstring, this is not the time to lose Damon and Giambi. Especially with the Yankees holding a season-high threegame lead over the second place Red Sox in the AL East.
Damon provides a pesky leadoff hitter and Giambi offers muscle that has been lacking ever since Sheffield went down.
As for the Red Sox blowing leads Tuesday and Wednesday, Torre wasn’t putting too much stock in it.
“It’s a bonus,” Torre said of the Red Sox flushing two games to the lowly Royals.
“You can’t let yourself get lulled into a false sense of security. We are the only club in the division that controls its destiny. Whatever bad surprises happen, you hope they are outnumbered by good ones.” Having Damon and Giambi last night had to be logged into the “good surprise” category, because the injury news this year hasn’t been very positive.
And with the Yankees in the infant stages of playing 21 games in 20 days, the less bad surprises, the better.
