TAMPA -Pitcher Jason Johnson has been limited to indoor work due to being diagnosed with cancer of the retina in the right eye shortly before reporting to camp.
“I went to the eye doctor to get a new pair of contacts and they found it,” said Johnson, who is in camp on a minor league deal and competing for the long-reliever role. “They sent me to the Wills Eye Institute in Philly. It’s supposed to be the best in the world. Only 2,000 people a year get it. They put a radiation plaque on my eye for four days. They told me it has a 98-percent success rate. I can’t pitch outside for two weeks. I can see, but not real well.”
Johnson, 35, has pitched for eight major league teams and was the first pitcher granted permission to wear an insulin pump on his belt to battle diabetes. He was 1-2 with a 5.22 ERA for the Dodgers last season, and is 56-100 with a 4.99 ERA in 255 big league games.
“We expect him to get back on the field in March,” manager Joe Girardi said. “I never heard of anyone having it. It was a scary moment [hearing about the cancer].”
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CC Sabathia arrived at George M. Steinbrenner Field yesterday with a shaky stomach. Though he insisted he was good enough to throw batting practice, Sabathia vomited while warming up in the Field 2 bullpen and was scratched.
“This one comes from the house. He says his kid has it,” said Girardi, who has the staff ace slated to throw batting practice today if he isn’t dehydrated.
Bernie Williams, who is preparing to play for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic, wasn’t in camp yesterday and won’t be today.
A.J. Burnett threw batting practice for the first time and demonstrated to Girardi that he no longer has to throw balls through walls.
“He was free and easy,” Girardi said. “He understands his body and knows what pace to go at.”
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Joba Chamberlain‘s second batting-practice stint included two parts. He threw 20 pitches, sat down while George Kontos threw 20 and returned to the mound for 20 more.
“For Feb. 21, I feel all right,” Chamberlain said.
Hideki Matsui will begin a light running program tomorrow and isn’t expected to be the designated hitter when the exhibition season opens Wednesday against the Blue Jays in Dunedin.