TORONTO — Four games into what was supposed to be a bounce-back season for Mark Teixeira, the Yankees’ switch-hitting first baseman suffered a setback — quite possibly back to the disabled list where he resided for most of 2013.
Teixeira left Friday night’s game, a 7-3 Yankees victory over the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre, in the bottom of the second inning with a strained right hamstring. Following the contest, Teixeira didn’t paint a very positive scenario of his status.
“We’ll see how it feels in the morning,” he said. “But I’m not super-optimistic about it.”
The injury occurred when Teixeira sprung to his left toward the first-base foul line in order to snare a Melky Cabrera grounder that went foul.
“I knew it was going to be foul. I went after it anyway,” said Teixeira, who played in just 15 games last season because of a right wrist injury. “I just took an awkward step. When I landed, it grabbed my hamstring. It wasn’t one of those excruciating, fall to the ground because of the pain [situations]. It was significant enough that I knew something was wrong.”
Teixeira stayed in the game for one more pitch by Masahiro Tanaka, and then he motioned to manager Joe Girardi he needed to leave the game. Starting third baseman Kelly Johnson switched over to first base, starting second baseman Yangervis Solarte shifted to third base and Brian Roberts entered the game at second base. That trio could join shortstop Derek Jeter as the Yankees’ optimal infield if Teixeira has to be deactivated.
Girardi said if Teixeira were to be tested, the MRI exam wouldn’t occur until Monday, when the Yankees are back in New York.