Yanks Place Wang On 15-day DL

[needauribe]

http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article...t=.jsp&c_id=mlb

 

Yankees place Wang on 15-day DL

Hurler to visit Dr. James Andrews to examine right shoulder

By Mark Feinsand / MLB.com

 

Chien-Ming Wang is 6-3 with a 3.89 ERA, the best among Yankees starters. (Nick Laham/Getty Images)

MLB Headlines

 

 

ADVERTISEMENT

 

print this page | e-mail this page

• Chien-Ming Wang's stats

 

 

BOSTON -- And then there were two.

The Yankees' starting rotation took yet another blow on Thursday, as the club placed Chien-Ming Wang on the 15-day disabled list with an inflamed right shoulder. That leaves Randy Johnson and Mike Mussina as the only healthy members of the rotation, as Carl Pavano, Kevin Brown and Jaret Wright are all on the DL.

 

Although the Yankees declined to reveal the diagnosis of team physician Dr. Stuart Hershon, it appears as though Wang could miss the remainder of the season with the injury. He will be examined by Dr. James Andrews on Monday in Birmingham, Ala., and if he agrees with Hershon's assessment, the Yankees will make another statement on Monday.

 

General manager Brian Cashman wouldn't comment on Wang's condition, even when asked if he thought the right-hander would pitch again in 2005.

 

"Until Andrews gets a chance to go through it, I'd rather not say too much more," Cashman said. "It's premature for me to go forward."

 

"You hope that's not the case, but if it is, some other people will have to step up," said Derek Jeter when asked about the possibility of being without Wang for the rest of the season. "Every team goes through injuries; Boston's had them, Baltimore's had them. Someone else will have to step it up."

 

Wang is 6-3 with a 3.89 ERA (the best among Yanks starters) in 13 games (12 starts) for the Yankees this season. He was called up from Triple-A Columbus in late April to replace Wright in the rotation, and after being skipped several times in May, he established himself as one of the team's most consistent starters in June and July.

 

"Everybody was stunned," said manager Joe Torre, who updated his players on Wang's injury before batting practice on Thursday. "It wasn't like we were walking a tightrope with him. There were times early on that we skipped him several times in the rotation, but he had no problem pitching with extra rest. I think everybody was surprised."

 

"He fit into the rotation very well and he secured a spot," said pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre. "He's one of the guys we counted on, so this was quite a blow and quite a shock."

 

Wang started for the Yankees last Friday, defeating the Indians with 7 2/3 innings of three-run ball. He threw his regular bullpen session Sunday, and the Yankees penciled him into start on Friday against the Red Sox.

 

But Monday, Wang woke up with some pain in his shoulder, prompting him to call his agent, who, in turn, called Cashman.

 

"It didn't make for a very enjoyable All-Star break," said the GM.

 

The Yankees sent Wang for an MRI exam late Monday afternoon, then got the news of his injury.

 

"He had no pain, there have been no complaints, and he's mechanically terrific," Cashman said. "Whatever has gone on here has gone on over time, but without pain."

 

This is the second shoulder injury of Wang's career, as he missed the entire 2001 season following arthroscopic surgery on his arm.

 

"Stuff like this during the baseball season is stuff you can't control, so you can't get caught up in it," Torre said. "That doesn't send a good message to the people that are still here and are trying to win ballgames."

 

Tim Redding, acquired on July 2 with Darrell May in a trade with the Padres for Paul Quantrill, will get the start in place of Wang on Friday. Johnson will start Saturday for the Yanks, but the team does not have starters announced for Sunday or Monday.

 

The Yankees entered the four-game series at Fenway Park within striking distance of the first-place Red Sox, but the latest setback to the rotation leaves the Bombers in limbo for much longer than this weekend. Mussina and Johnson will get about 30 starts over the final two-plus months of the season, leaving 46 others to the rest of the staff.

 

"The focus needs to get back to where it needs to be," Cashman said. "Boston is right in front of us. Just like Wang got an opportunity because somebody went down, maybe Tim Redding or someone else will now. The season isn't going to stop, so at least mentally, we can't let these injuries get us down."

 

"There's no mind-set that's going to change," said Torre, echoing Cashman's words. "I'm not going to tell the players to run faster to first base, or to throw harder, pitch with less rest. It's still the same game, you just have to deal with the people you have and not dwell on the people you don't have."

 

Mark Feinsand is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

 

print this page | e-mail this page

Edited July 15, 2005 by needauribe

[jackie hayes]

When a $200 mil+ payroll has to rely on Tim Redding as a 3rd starter, that's money well spent.

[Milkman delivers]

This isn't the place to say it, but I don't wanna start a whole thread.

 

Arod hit a game winning, 2-run homer off of Schilling in the 9th today. That's pretty much the only time I've been happy for Rodriguez.

[SoxFanForever]

This isn't the place to say it, but I don't wanna start a whole thread.

 

Arod hit a game winning, 2-run homer off of Schilling in the 9th today.  That's pretty much the only time I've been happy for Rodriguez.

Schilling looke extra plump tonight.

[Sonik22]

This isn't the place to say it, but I don't wanna start a whole thread.

 

Arod hit a game winning, 2-run homer off of Schilling in the 9th today.  That's pretty much the only time I've been happy for Rodriguez.

Same here besides when i was in milwaukee and saw his 400th.

[Buehrle>Wood]

I hate Curt Schilling.

[Chisoxfn]

Schilling looke extra plump tonight.

He's serving up fat ones too. He was brutal down in the minors (from everything I heard) and I think there is a decent chance he may be done. He's still having a lot of trouble with that ankle.

 

But if anyone can tough through the pain (and trust me, he's still in pain) than it would be Curt. I just question whether he'll ever regain full strenght of that ankle.

[Chisoxfn]

As far as Wang goes, thats too bad for him. I've watched him pitch a couple outings and I must say he impressed the hell out of me. 1st time I saw him was in a game against the Cubs and I didn't even know who he was.

 

Quickly I realized that the type of stuff he had. He's the best guy the Yanks have developed in some time (I honestly have no idea how they got him, but I'm assuming they signed him a year or two ago and had him in the minors).

 

But f*** the Yanks.

[Al Lopez Ghost (old)]

So, Steinbrenner has a broken wang?

[Pauly8509CWS]

Actually I believe the term would be that Steinbrenner has a limp wang...

[KevHead0881]

Gotta love any thread that has the words "Yanks" and "Wang" in the title.