TAMPA — Nick Johnson wasn’t stuffed into the Carl “American Idle” Pavano memorial MRI tube, he didn’t need X-rays of his right knee, and he vowed to be in the lineup tomorrow night against the Red Sox on Opening Day.
Yet, when it comes to injuries and Johnson it’s easy to fear the worst. After all, the Yankees’ designated hitter has been on the disabled list nine times since 2000. He missed all of the 2007 season with a broken femur and played in only 38 games the following year.
So, when the injury-plagued Johnson was forced out of yesterday’s 6-6 tie with the Orioles at George M. Steinbrenner Field after fouling a ball off the inside of his knee, it was easy to wonder if he was a casualty again.
Asked if he would face Red Sox ace Josh Beckett tomorrow night at Fenway Park, Johnson said “yes” without hesitation.
Manager Joe Girardi, however, wasn’t as sure.
“I am somewhat concerned about Sunday,” Girardi said. “He hit himself hard.”
Johnson was encouraged he didn’t require tests.
“No X-rays, none of that stuff,” Johnson said. “I don’t need to go that route. I want to be on the field and stay on the field.”
Johnson joined a growing list of Yankees with physical problems. The group includes catchers Jorge Posada (neck) and Francisco Cervelli (hamstring) and pitchers Alfredo Aceves (back) and Damaso Marte (shoulder).
None of the four are locks to be available tomorrow night, and Girardi isn’t ready to declare Posada able to catch CC Sabathia.
“I can’t tell you 100 percent he will be ready,” Girardi said of Posada, who was scratched Thursday and yesterday because of a stiff neck that he said was improving despite the fact he favored it when attempting to turn his head.
“A little better than [Thursday],” Posada said.
Aceves, a valuable right-handed reliever, worked a quick inning in a minor league game yesterday. Though Aceves said his back is fine, the Yankees didn’t want to use him in a big league game in case they had to back-date him on the disabled list to start the season.
“I didn’t feel nothing in my back. It doesn’t bother me,” said Aceves, who was scratched from an outing this week because of a lower disk problem. “Just for my confidence, instead of thinking about the back I am thinking about wining and getting batters out.”
Marte is suffering from what he described as a cranky left shoulder. He blamed it on too much weight training and said it had nothing to do with a problem in the same shoulder that shelved him for 3½ months last season.
“I will be fine Sunday or Monday,” said Marte, who was brilliant in the postseason last year. “I don’t feel like [the DL will be necessary]. Two or three days, depending on how I feel.”
General manager Brian Cashman said he wasn’t sweating Marte’s condition because he hadn’t been told to worry. Still . . .
“He isn’t on my red flag [list] but that doesn’t mean he won’t get there,” Cashman said.
Cervelli said if yesterday’s game had been a regular season contest, he would have played. He isn’t scheduled to be in the lineup for today’s spring finale.
“It’s tight,” Cervelli said of his left hamstring, which didn’t keep him from taking batting practice and catching in the bullpen.