If the Yankees are going to extend their October appearances to 14 straight, it appears they aren’t going to be aided by Hideki Matsui. And it didn’t sound like general manager Brian Cashman views Barry Bonds as a replacement for Matsui.
Matsui, the clutch-hitting DH, experienced swelling in his left knee yesterday when he didn’t take batting practice and will leave Tampa to be examined by team physician Stuart Hershon Friday in New York.
Though Cashman didn’t definitely say Matsui, who has had the knee drained twice and was taking batting practice at the minor league facility, was headed for surgery, a season-ending procedure looks inevitable.
“At some point you run out of options and there is surgery,” Cashman said before last night’s All-Star Game. “We will see how close we are Friday.”
Asked if losing Matsui, who hasn’t played since June 22, for the remainder of the season would lead him to signing Bonds, the all-time home run champ who is a free agent, Cashman chose his words carefully.
“I would say any rampant speculation on us involving a player of that magnitude would be extremely premature,” Cashman said. “I would caution everybody to not misunderstand that since I’m not saying no to it, that that means, ‘Oh my gosh, that that might be happening down the line.’ It’s not something we’re focused on at this point. We’re focused on getting Hideki Matsui back rather than, you know, what we’re going to do if he’s not back.”
If soon-to-be 44-year-old Bonds plays again – and that seems to be an extreme long shot at this point – it likely will be as a DH.
Joe Girardi has been using Jorge Posada and Jason Giambi as the DH in Matsui’s absence, and Cashman remains interested in free agent first baseman Richie Sexson, who could be used as a DH.
Cashman admitted it doesn’t look good for Matsui. “It’s a setback,” he said. “The doctors may have a few more tricks up their sleeves, but if they run out of those tricks eventually and it’s not responding, then surgery is the last resort.”
Missing Matsui, who is batting .323 overall and .338 in the clutch, is compounded by Johnny Damon being out since suffering a bruised and swollen left shoulder on July 4.
“It’s not too good,” Damon told The Post. “Saturday I was thinking I could play a game the next day and then I woke up [Sunday] and it was sore and stiff. Every motion I make, makes it swollen and sore.”
Damon said he hopes to hit off a batting tee by tomorrow, but Girardi’s hope of having him back Sunday isn’t going to happen.