By GEORGE A. KING III
June 17, 2008
It could have been worse, but yesterday's news on Chien-Ming Wang's right foot was devastating.
When Wang departed the Carl Pavano Memorial MRI tube at New York Presbyterian Hospital, he had a sprained Lisfranc ligament and a partial tear of the peroneal longus tendon. The injuries could keep the Yankees' ace out until Sept. 1 at the earliest.
So, just as the Yankees were gaining traction - they have won nine of 12 - because the rotation was pitching better than it had all season, the No. 1 starter has been deleted.
"You can't replace a guy like that . . . even if you make a trade or not," Jason Giambi said. According to Yankees doctor Stuart Hershon and Dr. Justin Greisberg, a foot and ankle specialist, Wang will have the foot in a protective boot and use crutches for six weeks but won't require surgery that would have ended his season. However, Aug. 1 is the six week mark and if Wang is cleared to start throwing then he faces four to six weeks of bullpen sessions, throwing batting practice and rehab games before getting back to the big leagues. That means Sept. 1 at the earliest, and that's without any setbacks.
A more realistic goal is Wang returning if the Yankees make it to the postseason.
"He's our best pitcher; we're gonna miss him," Jorge Posada said. "But it is what it is; we've got to move on and everybody else is going to have to step up." According to GM Brian Cashman, Wang's injury isn't as severe as the Lisfranc fracture reliever Brian Bruney suffered in late April. Bruney, who will throw 25 pitches in a Tampa bullpen today, suffered the injury fielding a ground ball and came close to having surgery.
However, that doesn't mean Wang's problem isn't serious.
"It's very delicate joint that doesn't take kindly to trauma," Dr. Andy Brief, an orthopedic surgeon at Englewood Hospital and Holy Name Hospital in Teaneck, N.J., explained. "You worry about instability."
According to Brief, since it's a sprain, Wang eventually will be 100 percent.
"But you don't know when," Brief said.
