From Josh Thomson:
Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner had the cast removed from his broken left thumb on Monday and will now have the finger supported by a splint until he is examined again this coming Monday.
If all goes well, Gardner may return soon after.
“I hope to be back playing in two weeks,” he said.
Gardner has been on the disabled list since he broke the thumb trying to break up a double play on July 25 against the A’s. He had worn a hard cast ever since.
Gardner needs to be on the roster prior to September 1st to be available for the postseason. If he starts playing two weeks from Monday and plays in 4-5 rehab games, I would expect him to return to the Yankees in the last few days of August. While the Jerry Hairston acquisition softened the blow of losing Gardner, the Yankees have missed his ability to steal a base, most notably in the 9th inning of Monday’s loss to Toronto. A bench of Gardner, Hinske, Hairston, and Molina gives Joe Girardi incredible flexibility late in games, as well as allowing him to rest some of his older players. I spent a lot of April complaining about Brian Cashman’s inability to build a quality bench. The emergence of Melky Cabrera as a starter, coupled with the trades for Hinske and Hairston, have lead to an incredible turnaround in that area. I tip my cap to you, Mr. Cashman.
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Gardner and Melky splitting CF is the best of both worlds… you get Melky’s developing power, clutch hitting and huge arm combined with Gardner’s speed and and superior range in the outfield make up one of the best CFs in all of baseball… just imagine if they were one person, it just makes me wonder where they go when Austin Jackson finally arrives. I believe Melky has the power and arm strength to make LF his home for the next 8-10 years and do it well but neither Gardner or Jackson should develop into a big HR threat (although I do think Jackson with hit 25+ HRs once he fully develops) and that means neither should play RF, as much as it kind of sucks it looks like eventually either Melky, Ajax or Brett will be traded.
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scott l Reply:
August 12th, 2009 at 7:31 pm
Stop the comedy! Melky will be lucky to finish next season as a Yankee. He is just not that good and will always be an inconsistent player in NY.
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The other Chris H Reply:
August 12th, 2009 at 9:15 pm
I feel bad for your mother…
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scott l Reply:
August 12th, 2009 at 10:31 pm
Ha Ha and I feel just as bad for your mother. Melky becoming the Yankees left fielder for next 8-10 years is delusional!
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The other Chris H Reply:
August 24th, 2009 at 2:54 pm
I feel bad for anyone who says Ha HA and then repeats what the other person said when they have no original line to come up with on there own but nice try anyway. Did I say 8-10 years? No you like to read into something that isn’t there, you just hate Melky and don’t want him to have an opportunity, I didn’t say anything about the next however many years I am simply talking next year.
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Welcome to New York Chad Gaudin… looks like his MO is to make you sweat but he got the job done in the 10th inning, now lets go get him his first win in Pin Stripes!
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So we have lost Jeter and now Alex to HBP from a team that has no shot to make the post season… this is some BS!
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The other Chris H Reply:
August 12th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
Walk off Robinson Cano… Does anyone know the exact amount of walk off wins and come from behind wins we have this season? I know the come from behinds are well over 32 and the walk offs are over 20 I just don’t know the exact number… either way what a team, we can win in almost any fashion, Boston must be heart broken two days in a row they just miss a chance to pick up games.
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Chris H. Reply:
August 12th, 2009 at 6:03 pm
That was our 11th walk-off win!
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The other Chris H Reply:
August 12th, 2009 at 6:15 pm
Just saw that don’t know where I got 20.. oh well egg on the face and all feels good with a win…
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Does he have to back by 9/1 to be eligible for the postseason? He is on the major league DL, not the inactive roster, and he is accruing service time for this.
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JGS Reply:
August 12th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
and there was some roster tomfoolery taking place to get it done, but K-rod made his debut 9/18/02 and was on the postseason roster
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Looking forward to Brett’s return. He adds an element to this team that we lack without him. If he starts in CF he can save a game with his glove, if he gets on base he can generate a run almost single-handedly, and as a pinch runner late in games can score on hits that nobody else can. Very valuable piece, I know why Girardi likes him so much.
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The other Chris H Reply:
August 12th, 2009 at 6:29 pm
I still say if the right package comes along this off season in which a good player becomes available (Felix Hernandez or someone) we should consider trading Brett in the deal… We proved he isn’t a necessity for this team he is an added bonus who could have influenced maybe one game since the all star break we lost? I like Brett but he is going to have some value and he really can’t play in the same outfield as Melky and Jackson next year and if he makes a difference in getting an elite player i sat throw him in.
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steve Reply:
August 12th, 2009 at 8:27 pm
if king felix is put on the trade block no way gardner would be anything more than a throw in. its king felix we’re talking about. start putting up joba montero and hughes. forget gardner
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The other Chris H Reply:
August 12th, 2009 at 9:09 pm
Thank you Steve for your brilliant insight… That is why I put the word package… If you thought I mean Gardner for Hernandez then WOW!!! First of all it wouldn’t take Phil, Montero and Joba it would be a package involving one and building around said player. So it would look something like Phil Hughes, Austin Romine, Zach Mcallister, Brett Gardner and another player from a preselected list of players the Mariners could choose from. I would think the Mariners would want at least two players they could put in the Majors immediately and Gardner has more trade value than Melky and Austin Jackson because he has done it at the major league level. There for Gardner could be a piece of a bigger package to land a big starting pitcher.
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We need Brett back in CF everyday. Melky has sucked at the plate since hitting for the cycle.
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The other Chris H Reply:
August 12th, 2009 at 7:39 pm
You do realize he had two RBI yesterday right? But your right he has sucked since hitting for the cycle… except he’s still managed to drive in runs and get on base.
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scott l Reply:
August 12th, 2009 at 8:23 pm
Go look at his stats for the last 2 weeks and tell us how wonderful Melky has been! He’s terribly inconsistent which to me is the worst quality for a baseball player to have. Trade him after the season!
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Moshe Mandel Reply:
August 12th, 2009 at 8:34 pm
Two bad weeks and he is inconsistent? All players have streaks, it is the nature of the game. C’mon scott, it is time to face it. Melky has had a good season.
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scott l Reply:
August 12th, 2009 at 9:09 pm
Give me a break! Melky is having his normal inconsistent season. He is either hot or cold as a hitter and a lousy fundamental fielder.
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Moshe Mandel Reply:
August 12th, 2009 at 9:18 pm
No, you give me a break. I was on your side about Melky prior to the season, but we have been proven wrong. the guy has had a good season, littered with a ton of huge hits. He has been no streakier than A-Rod, Teixeira, Damon, or Matsui.
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scott l Reply:
August 12th, 2009 at 10:39 pm
Moshe you said the same stuff about Veras! He is better and he can do it and so on and so on. Look at Melky by the month and you can see for yourself that he is inconsistent ball player. A great half month of April into a very good the first half of may and then sucked all the way through June followed by a solid July and now he is sucking his way through August! Melky is what he will always be and that is inconsistent!
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Moshe Mandel Reply:
August 12th, 2009 at 10:53 pm
No, I said Veras should be given a shot. He failed, Melky has not. You can manipulate the numbers all you want, but he has been an above average CF. Accept it.
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The other Chris H Reply:
August 12th, 2009 at 9:14 pm
I didn’t say he was “wonderful” but he did drive in two runs yesterday and both were huge in winning that game… so to say he has been “awful” is incredibly fickle and looking for a reason to “hate” on a perfectly good player who is having a great year (he’s still batting .272) in the 9 hole. Gardner brings more trade value than Melky so if you were going to put one of them in a “big deal” (the only reason to trade either one of them) you would have to trade Brett Gardner.
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First off, Melky can be replaced a lot easier then Brett. Not that we want too.
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scott l Reply:
August 12th, 2009 at 9:10 pm
Of course we want to replace Melky! He is just not a very good player.
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The other Chris H Reply:
August 12th, 2009 at 9:12 pm
And Gardner holds more trade value with his speed and ability to be a starting CFer right now at a younger age than Austin Jackson or Melky. You can obviously win with out Gardner we have been doing it, I’m not saying trade him for a sack of beans but don’t immediately hang up the phone if someone brings up trade possibilities that include him in the deal. Brett Gardner isn’t one of the “untouchables” on this team… No one besides Montero and either Joba or Hughes (depending on who you think the team backs more) is “untouchable”.
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Old Ranger Reply:
August 12th, 2009 at 10:30 pm
Untouchable is not the question with Brett…value to the team, as a balance to all the slow players.
Replace him with—whom? Melky…not good enough! Trade for someone? Why, Brett is cheep and one of the best defensive CF’ers, and a very good offensive weapon.
Hell, Swisher and Nady or others like him can do Melkys’ job in LF/RF.
I must say (so far), the combination of Melky/Brett in CF, or as in Melkys’ case…LF/RF/CF, makes the team stronger.
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Don’t understand the “bashing” of Melky. Of course, Girardi and some of the bloggers on his site think Gardner can’t do anything wrong. Gardner may be like the “flash in pan” Shelley Duncan.
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The other Chris H Reply:
August 24th, 2009 at 2:59 pm
Speed is not a flash in the pan, Shelley’s problem is he can hit fastballs hard but anything else gives him trouble and anyone who saw him play saw that coming. Brett is a great talent but he isn’t Rickey Henderson and he should be on the block to put him in a package to bring in a big name, I’m not saying actively try and trade him I am just saying listen if you get calls that involve him that’s all.
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Chris H is correct! Trade Gardner for a relief pitcher.
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The other Chris H Reply:
August 24th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
I didn’t say for relief pitcher, I said if a deal comes along in which we can get a high caliber player there is no reason to hold onto Gardner if he can mean the difference in being the last piece to get the deal done or walking away from the deal all together.
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Gardner does not have to be on the roster by September since its an activation off the DL. This is true even if he does a rehab assignment in the minors.
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Moshe Mandel Reply:
August 13th, 2009 at 12:19 am
My bad. Did not know that.
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DaveinMD Reply:
August 13th, 2009 at 12:49 am
No need to apologize. You certainly know a ton more than I do and bring us a great smart place to talk about the team we love.
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Moshe Mandel Reply:
August 13th, 2009 at 12:52 am
Thanks Dave. As I’ve said many times, the commenters make the blogs, especially the good commenters. Glad to have you aboard.
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