The Yankees are stuck in a waiting game with two of their most important players as Carlos Beltran and CC Sabathia are sidelined indefinitely.
Beltran got a cortisone shot after an MRI exam revealed an old bone spur in his right elbow that he aggravated on Monday. If the injection doesn’t reduce the pain, he may have to undergo surgery.
The procedure likely would cost Beltran four to six weeks, according to Dr. David Geier, an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist in Charleston, S.C.
He could return in even less time, depending on exactly where the spur is located.
On Tuesday, Beltran said the elbow remained sore.
“I was just taking swings in the cage [Monday] and felt a sharp pain, and I took another one and felt the same,” Beltran said before the Yankees faced the Mets in The Bronx. “I told Joe [Girardi] I wasn’t going to be able to continue.”
The manager has heard that a lot lately. Sabathia visited Dr. James Andrews to get a second opinion on his bothersome right knee, Mark Teixeira was limited to DH duty thanks to a tight groin and reliever Shawn Kelley went on the disabled list with a sore back.
Ichiro Suzuki, who was unavailable Monday with a back injury suffered Sunday attempting to make a catch in Milwaukee, said he was a “no-go” again Tuesday.
“It’s better than [Monday],” Ichiro said through a translator. “It’s something I haven’t done before, so I’m not sure what it’s supposed to feel like.”
Similarly, Beltran said he never had dealt with an elbow injury before and was hoping to avoid going under the knife.
“It’s day-to-day,” Beltran said. “Let’s hope [Wednesday], the injection does the job and I’m able to come here and do the work I do.”
The shot could take a few days to have an effect.
“If in two or three days I’m not able to take swings I normally take, then have to make another decision,” Beltran said.