Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira experienced back spasms during a road trip last month. And there was pain, persistent pain that consistently increased. And while the pain worsened over the weekend, it at least became centralized. So Teixeira went for additional tests.
A subsequent MRI exam uncovered a “mild Grade 1” left lat strain, said Teixeira, who will sit for three or four days. Teixeira, stuck in an unsightly 3-of-24 slump, was not in the lineup Monday against Texas at Yankee Stadium.
“We just kind of put the fires out. But when the pain ratcheted up and it was just one spot I could say, ‘Listen doc, this spot’s killing me. Let’s take a look at it.’ And that’s when we found the strain,” said Teixeira, who first experienced the pain in Oakland (June 13-15) last month.
“We didn’t get an MRI [originally] because back spasms happen. They go away and they come back. After a month the pain really ratcheted up the last few days and that’s when we decided to get the MRI because something wasn’t right,” Teixeira said.
So after completing an 0-of-12 series against the Reds in the first series after the All-Star break, Teixeira, whose season was wiped out last year by a wrist injury and subsequent surgery, went for the exam with team physician Christopher Ahmad on Sunday. Teixeira was expected to receive a platelet-rich plasma injection Monday.
“He has a mild strain of the lower lat,” said manager Joe Girardi, who inserted Kelly Johnson at first base and the fifth spot in the order Monday. “He’s been dealing with it on and off since Oakland.
“We’ll give him three or four days off and see where we’re at.”
Girardi said there was no intention to put Teixeira on the disabled list.
“If we were really concerned we would put him on the DL right away,” the manager said.
So the hope is Teixeira, who has battled wrist issues, a hamstring that landed him on the DL and now the back this season, will respond to the injection and rest.
“We’ll get a PRP shot today and then you really don’t know how it will respond so that’s why we said we’ll reevaluate in three or four days,” Teixeira said. “Hopefully the back responds really well to the PRP. If that happens, then hopefully I’ll be back soon. If not then it might take a few more days after that.”
Girardi would not concede Teixeira’s recent offensive struggles were connected to the lat problem.
“I don’t know. He’s had a couple other little things,” Girardi said.
But the lat problem, Teixeira said, affects his swing from both sides of the plate. And his throwing. Basically, he’s fine if he sits still.
“Anything with any type of rotation. It’s been pretty painful,” Teixeira said. “It got pretty bad the last few days.”
So a season of frustration continued for Teixeira, a lifetime .276 hitter batting .231. There was the earlier hamstring injury: “I went, ‘Man it should not be this hard to play baseball anymore.’ ”
After all, he had expected all of last year’s rest would refresh. It didn’t.
“It’s tough. I thought the year off last year would give me a fountain of youth and it’s made me rusty,” said Teixeira, who was limited to 15 games in 2013. “Every game it’s something. You’re dealing with a hamstring early, your knee, back. It’s really frustrating not to mention the wrist, which is obviously something I’m dealing with. But that’s life.
“You’re got to grind through things and I’ve been grinding pretty well all season and I’m still pretty happy with the way I’ve played when I’m healthy. I just need to get healthy again.”
Johnson, who had played three games in eight seasons at first before playing his 26th game as a Yankee on Monday at Teixeira’s stomping grounds, has relied on the defensive stud for advice all season.
“I lean on him all day long. If I have any doubts or any questions or something pops up, he’s the guy I’m asking,” Johnson said. “There’s really not anybody better to ask.”