WHAT A KICK: Joba Chamberlain, who suffered an open dislocation of his ankle last week in a trampoline accident, enters a press conference yesterday with a strange device on his foot that delivers cold compress. Chamberlain, who also is rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, said he plans to pitch this year. (REUTERS)
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TAMPA — Joba Chamberlain vows to pitch again this year for the Yankees.
Speaking to the media for the first time since suffering an open dislocation of the subtalar joint in the heel area of the right foot Thursday jumping on a trampoline with his son, Chamberlain said the injury is just the latest hill to climb.
“I am going to continue to work hard to be ahead of schedule or right on schedule,’’ said Chamberlain, whose goal to come back from Tommy John surgery was June. “Obviously there are a lot of things that have to happen before that — the mere fact that what we have been told, no broken bones. I don’t have to worry about running the bases, so that is another thing that goes along with this. I think there is a great chance of that definitely happening.’’
Chamberlain entered a pavilion on the grounds of George M Steinbrenner Field using crutches. The foot was in a cast that had a tube-like mechanism sticking out and delivered cold compresses to the area.
Chamberlain, who was treated with antibiotics to ward off infection, hammered reports the injury could have been fatal and that amputation was a possibility.
“One of those things that bothered me, people calling me asking me if it was life-threatening and that I was going to lose my foot,’’ Chamberlain said. “There was no bone out of my ankle. It bothered me to have my family go through that. I broke no bones. I didn’t dislocate my ankle. Nothing was out of the skin. I didn’t lose a lot of blood, contrary to what people wrote. It wasn’t life-threatening and I wasn’t planning on losing my foot. Basically, when you rolled your ankle the skin just went.’’
While saying he felt as if he let the Yankees down, Chamberlain didn’t apologize for spending time with his 5-year-old son Karter, who was with Chamberlain at the facility when the injury occurred.
“I will never question being a father. I feel like I let the team down, but looking back I will never question being a father,’’ Chamberlain said before pausing to control his emotions. “That’s the biggest thing to know, that this game is very important to me but my son is my pride and joy. That was the biggest thing I stressed, ‘Don’t be so hard on yourself and try to realize you were trying to be a dad.’ I feel like I let them down, but it’s just another hill I have had to climb.
“I would never do anything considered reckless with my son. There are certain elements of everyday life you do. I don’t second-guess anything.’’
According to Chamberlain, he and Karter were the only people on the trampolines and he suffered the injury while jumping into the air from one trampoline to another. Friend Todd Nogoshian and the person from the facility were the only other people in the room.
General manager Brian Cashman refused to say if the Yankees will void Chamberlain’s non-guaranteed $1.675 million contract.
“Whatever our rights are, they are our rights,’’ Cashman said. “It’s not like a situation where somebody punched a wall. This is an accident. Punching a wall like Kevin Brown did, that wasn’t an accident. I choose not to pile on.’’
Cashman believes Chamberlain returning would be a “best-case scenario.’’
george.king@nypost.com