Russell Martin’s Yankees career will start under the knife.
The newly signed catcher has a small meniscus tear in his right knee and will have arthroscopic surgery Monday.
“I’m not too concerned with it,” Martin said in a conference call Thursday. “Obviously, the timing is bad because it will affect my offseason training a little bit.”
Martin passed his Yankees physical making the deal official Thursday.
“It’s a three-week recovery period,” GM Brian Cashman said. “We can take time with this. He will be full-throttle when called upon. We don’t want it to become a problem. It’s not a serious surgery at all.”
CC Sabathia and Jorge Posada, who is moving to DH and being replaced at catcher by Martin, have undergone similar surgeries earlier this offseason.
“As long as he is healthy, Russell Martin will be the everyday catcher and the fight will be for the remaining playing time,” Cashman said.
Francisco Cervelli is the early favorite to be the backup, but prospects Jesus Montero and Austin Romine will have a chance to supplant him.
The former Dodgers catcher also is recovering from a broken hip that ended his 2010 season in early August.
“If he is healthy, he is in the upper third of catchers in baseball,” a scout said. “He plays the game the right way, hard, and gives you leadership behind the plate.”