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Gardner being re-evaluated as 2012 return is now in doubt

July 17th, 2012 2:33 AM
  • Gardner-being-re-evaluated-as-2012-return-is-now-in-doubt
  • New York Yankees left fielder Brett Gardner rounds third base en route to scoring a run. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-US PRESSWIRE

    • Yankees' outfielder Brett Gardner has been limited to just nine games this season, with what was diagnosed as a strained right elbow. He was originally placed on the 15-day DL, and no one was overly concerned by what appeared to be a minor injury to his non-throwing arm. But now, the second half has started and Gardner has still not played in a game since mid-April.

    Gardner has attempted to come back three times, but has been shut down briefly after beginning each rehab assignment. He is scheduled to have an MRI on his elbow today, and many people are beginning to think that he could possibly miss the rest of the season. So far, the Yankees have not missed Gardner's absence; they are 9 games ahead of second place Baltimore in the AL East, and have the best record in all of baseball.

    Part of the reason the Yankees were able to move past Gardner's injury without missing a beat is due to the play of Andruw Jones and Raul Ibanez. They lack Gardner's speed and ability to hit for average, but they have made up for it with their home run capabilities; Jones has 11 homers and Ibanez has 12, including some clutch shots by each player. On Monday night, Ibanez hit a grand slam to break a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the eighth inning, and Andruw Jones hit four homers in three games against Boston, which helped the Yankees take three out of four on the road to close out the first half of the season.

    Some people have even made the argument that Brett Gardner's absence has been a good thing for the Yankees this year; without him, Jones and Ibanez are both playing more games in the field and fewer games at the designated hitter position. This has allowed A-Rod, who will be 37 next week, to DH more and thereby save his legs while still playing everyday. Consequently, Rodriguez has been healthy all season, and putting together numbers that may be low for his standards (.273 avg, 14 HR, 40 RBI), but are enough to continue to make him a serious threat in the Yankees’ high-powered lineup.

    The Yanks are a lock to make the playoffs this year regardless of whether Gardner is able to play again, but they could still miss his prowess on the basepaths in the postseason. The Yankees have relied on solid pitching and the long ball throughout the season, but in the playoffs every run counts, but when the weather cools down home runs can be tough to come by. Gardner averaged 92 runs over the past two seasons and is always a threat to steal, totaling 96 over that time. In his absence, Rodriguez leads the Yankees with 10 stolen bases, two more than he had in the past two seasons combined.

    Yankees fans are never short on confidence, and this season they have plenty of things to be confident about, but they should be anxious about Gardner's pending MRI results. They may not miss him right now, but come October, if Gardner is still hurt, they will.

    — John Power

    Depending on the results of today’s MRI on Brett Gardner’s right elbow, surgery could be in the Yankees’ left fielder’s future. Yesterday, Gardner reported to the Yankees’ minor league complex in Tampa and informed the medical staff that he was sore after participating in a simulated game…

    Read the original post from nypost.com

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