Major League Baseball

Yankees slugger Mark Teixeira out with back strain

Published Jul. 21, 2014 6:05 p.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

foxsports

Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira will be sidelined for at least three games because of a strained muscle in his back, the latest injury to slow the team's leading run producer.

Teixeira has been hampered by a left lower lat injury that was causing spasms in his back for about a month. The pain escalated during New York's weekend sweep of the Cincinnati Reds immediately following the All-Star break.

"Throwing, hitting -- anything with any type of rotation, it's been pretty painful," Teixeira said Monday before the Yankees played the Texas Rangers. "The spasms, unfortunately, have gone from my neck to my lower back, up and down the whole time. We just kind of put the fires out, and finally when the pain ratcheted up, it was one spot."

An MRI administered Sunday showed a mild strain of the muscle. Teixeira was set to have a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection Monday night and will most likely sit out the entire four-game series against Texas.

The Yankees will re-evaluate Teixeira in a few days but manager Joe Girardi didn't think the injury would send Teixeira to the disabled list.

"I think if we were concerned, really concerned, we'd put him on the DL right away," Girardi said.

After missing all but 15 games last season because of a wrist injury that needed surgery, Teixeira was looking forward to playing a full season. It's hardly gone as planned for the 34-year-old switch-hitter.

He already has missed 21 games this year because of hamstring, back, knee and wrist problems. But he still leads the Yankees with 17 homers and 48 RBIin 76 games. He is hitless in his past 13 at-bats.

"I thought the year off last year would kind of give me a fountain of youth and it's just made me rusty," Teixeira said. "That's the way it feels. It's been something. Every game, it's something. I'm still happy with the way I've played when I'm healthy." 

share

Get more from Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

Major League Baseball