Minor Injuries Highlight The Fragility Of It All

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Marc Carig chimes in with news on the injury front:

Catcher Jorge Posada has a mild strain of his right calf and is day-to-day. The Yankees haven’t made a roster move but Yankees manager Joe Girardi said Posada’s status would help shape their decision. With 13 pitchers on the pitching staff, the Yankees could send an arm down to call up an outfielder, or another catcher….

Closer Mariano Rivera has stiffness in his left side and has been unavailable since Saturday, which is why Joba Chamberlain worked the ninth and picked up the save on Monday against the Orioles. Rivera, who played down his injury, said he plans to throw off a mound today…..

Third baseman Alex Rodriguez experienced cramping in his right leg. And though it caused a bit of a stir on Sunday, when he was held from the lineup, it didn’t seem to be an issue on Monday when Rodriguez started.

A-Rod has already returned, and it sounds like Posada and Mariano could be back in action as soon as Friday. That said, these minor injuries tend to highlight the precarious nature of a baseball season, particularly when discussing a team depending on a number of older players. While the Yankees have enough talent to weather the loss of one or even two of these players, a rash of injuries to a handful of key veterans could torpedo their chances at taking the division. The Yankees were fairly fortunate in 2009 in terms of health, and that luck was certainly a factor in helping them run away with the division. Hopefully, this good fortune continues, and guys like Mariano, Posada, and Andy Pettitte can help the Yankees contend for a division title again in 2010.

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