MLB

Yankees’ Chavez breaks foot

DETROIT — Surprise! Eric Chavez is injured again.

The Yankees third baseman, who was limited by injuries to 154 games from 2007-10 with the Athletics, suffered a small fracture to the fifth metatarsal bone in his left foot while running out an RBI triple in yesterday’s 6-3 loss to the Tigers at Comerica Park.

“I feel bad, he has been through so much,” Joe Girardi said of his backup corner infielder, who contemplated retirement this past winter before signing with the Yankees.

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Chavez, 33, took the first available flight to New York, where he will be examined by the Yankees’ team physician, Dr. Chris Ahmad, then likely will see a foot specialist. Chavez will be placed on the 15-day disabled list before tonight’s opener of a three-game series at Texas.

Chavez’s previous medical problems — none of which are related to the broken foot — began in 2006, his ninth season in Oakland. Chavez missed time with a left hamstring strain and forearm tendinitis, but did not go on the DL.

The next season, he played 90 games before going on the DL with lower back spasms. He then had surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder. In the offseason, he had microdisectomy surgery on his back, then missed the first two months of the 2008 season recuperating.

When he returned, he played 23 games before hitting the DL again with inflammation in his right shoulder. His 2008 season ended with another surgery on the labrum in his right shoulder.

The 2009 season was even more abbreviated. He played eight games, then had a second microdisectomy surgery on his back, ending that season. And last season, he played 33 games before neck spasms put an end to his days in Oakland.

In 17 games this year, the left-handed hitter is batting .303 (10-for-33) with six RBIs and provided Girardi with a comfort at the corners.

Chavez appeared to stumble between second base and third and needed to be helped off the field by trainer Steve Donohue.

“It’s obviously a problem for us,” said Alex Rodriguez, for whom Chavez was subbing at third base. “He has been swinging the bat extremely well since coming to [spring training] camp.”

The Yankees, in deciding how to fill Chavez’s roster spot, were leaning toward promoting utility infielder Ramiro Pena over corner infielder Jorge Vazquez from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Pena was held out of last night’s game against Pawtucket to avoid injury.

Pena is on the 40-man roster; Vazquez is not, and is considered a below-average defender. Pena provides more flexibility because he can play every infield position but first.

Vazquez, a 29-year-old right-handed hitter, entered last night’s action batting .302 (32-for-106) with nine homers and 27 RBIs. Pena was hitting .233 (20-for-86) with two homers and seven RBIs.

Pena, a 25-year-old switch hitter who spent the entire 2010 season with the Yankees, provides sure hands and an accurate arm at second, third and short. Eduardo Nunez also can back up at short, third and left field. Because Pena can’t play first, right fielder Nick Swisher would become Mark Teixeira’s backup there.