Mark Teixeira has been sidelined by neck spasms for the second time this month, and the Yankees aren’t sure when the first baseman will be back on the field.
He sat out Wednesday’s 8-4 loss to the Blue Jays in The Bronx after receiving a cortisone shot and undergoing an MRI exam.
According to manager Joe Girardi, the MRI results were similar to the one Teixeira received nearly a year ago, when he dealt with a similar injury.
Still, it’s clear this is an issue that is going to linger, as Teixeira already missed a pair of games this month while receiving treatment on the neck.
As for a trip to the DL, Girardi said: “As of right now, it’s not something that’s on my mind. … There’s a chance we won’t have him for a few days here. We’ll have to see. It’s something I think we can get through.”
Before Wednesday’s loss, which snapped a six-game winning streak, the manager said of the injury: “It definitely concerns me because we don’t want to be without him.”
It’s easy to see why. On Wednesday, Dustin Ackley was back at first against right-hander Marco Estrada.
In Teixeira’s absence, Girardi said he could use Austin Romine at first. Romine has started one game at first in his major league career. Girardi also mentioned Brian McCann would be available “in a pinch” and Ronald Torreyes could “handle it.”
Maybe, but none of those are particularly appealing choices.
Without Greg Bird, who is out with a labrum injury, Girardi isn’t left with much to choose from. Nick Swisher is still at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, playing first base, but there are no plans to move him up.
As for Teixeira, he has continued to be unproductive at the plate, even before this latest setback.
“I think it’s had some effect,” Girardi said. “If you can’t move your neck the way you need to, it’s kind of hard as a hitter.”
Teixeira snapped an 0-for-19 skid with a single on Sunday in Oakland and then had another hit in Tuesday’s win, but he even admitted the opposite-field single was hardly an indication that his slump was over.
After hitting three homers in his first seven games of the season, Teixeira hasn’t gone deep since.
Other than a four-game stretch this month in which he hit three doubles following his two-game absence, Teixeira has given the Yankees almost no power.
Still, Girardi insisted Teixeira has looked fine in the cage and during batting practice, which is why the manager hadn’t considered resting Teixeira before this latest setback.
“His work has been good,” Girardi said. “For a while, he couldn’t work because of his neck. It’s just getting that to translate over to the field. If I didn’t feel good about it, I might give him a couple of days, but he’s important to our defense, too.”