With Alex Rodriguez out for up to eight weeks with a fractured bone in his left hand, according to Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, the Bombers are forced to rely on Eric Chavez and Jayson Nix. It made for some tense moments when Chavez — who admits injuries have ended his time as an everyday player — went down in a heap during Friday night’s 10-3 victory over Boston at the Stadium.
Chavez was hit just above his right ankle in the bottom of the eighth inning by Mark Melancon’s 92 mph cutter. He was replaced by Nix for the ninth, and limped gingerly through the clubhouse with his leg wrapped. X-rays were negative.
“It’s fine,” said Chavez, who went 0-for-3. “It’s a lot better than what it looks like. It’s just as bruise. It hit me in a good spot, making it tough for me to walk. But they just put the wrap on there and made sure it didn’t swell up and go into my foot.
“[I was worried] a little bit, and then I got up and walked and I felt OK. Then when I got in the dugout, it didn’t. … I don’t think anybody likes getting hit. When I first got hit, there was a minute there where I didn’t feel too good. And then I got up and walked around and [I felt better].’’
Chavez wasn’t scheduled to start the next two days with lefties Jon Lester and Felix Doubront pitching, but his status as a pinch-hitter is in question.
“We’ll have to see,’’ manager Joe Girardi said. “He said he was OK when he went to the base and then he went in [the dugout] he stiffened up.’’
It underscored the risk Cashman will be taking if he doesn’t make a trade by Tuesday’s non-waiver deadline.
Girardi said Rodriguez has an X-ray scheduled next week on his non-displaced fracture of the fifth metacarpal bone, suffered when he was hit by a Felix Hernandez pitch Tuesday in Seattle. After having a splint put on in Seattle, he saw Dr. Chris Ahmad Thursday in Manhattan and had it replaced with a cast.
“He’ll be back in eight weeks max, and we’ll go from there,’’ Cashman said. “He’ll be back at some point in September.’’
Will the Yankees go that long with a Chavez-Nix platoon?
“Jayson played really pretty well for us the whole year,’’ Girardi said. “Our plan was to platoon those two and that’s our plan moving forward.’’
Nix is unproven as part of a platoon, and Chavez — who appeared in his 66th game last night — hasn’t logged over 90 games since 2007 due to back and neck woes.
“Physically I have my limitations,’’ said Chavez. “I can’t play every day. Physically I don’t have the body to play every day.’’