Johnson May Face Surgery, Granderson Sprints

Yankees designated hitter Nick Johnson is unlikely to return to action before the first week of June and could be out until August.

Johnson's sore right wrist may require surgery to remove inflamed tissue, GM Brian Cashman said. The surgery would keep him out four to six weeks on top of the month he already is expected to miss.
Cashman said Johnson got a cortisone shot in the wrist last weekend in Boston, but it will not be known for a couple of weeks if that treatment was effective.

If not, then Johnson is headed under the knife for at least the third time in his injury-plagued career.
"It's my intention to learn if [the shot] worked as soon as possible," Cashman said before Saturday's win over the Twins. "If not, then we want to go right to the surgery. When healthy, we know what this guy can do, but he can't do anything for us right now."

The Yankees signed Johnson to a one-year, $5.5 million deal after failing to come to terms with Johnny Damon, whose No. 2 spot in the lineup Johnson was expected to fill.

But Johnson struggled in the first 24 games of the season, hitting .167 with two homers and eight RBIs, plus 23 strikeouts in 73 at-bats.

He went on the disabled list May 8 after a game in Boston, his ninth trip to the DL in nine seasons. Johnson had surgery on the same wrist on his first tour of duty with the Yankees -- although Cashman said it was in a different area. Johnson also had surgery to repair a broken femur with the Washington Nationals.

"He'd be a $15 million a year player if he didn't have this history of injuries," Cashman said. "Instead you get what you get. When he's healthy you get a real productive bat but at the same time you have to deal with this, too. I knew what I was getting into when I started this thing."

Cashman said for now, Juan Miranda, a 27-year-old Cuban defector added to the roster from Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre on Thursday, would serve as Johnson's replacement.

"Juan's got ability and he's been waiting for an opportunity, so he's got it now," Cashman said. "For now, any problems we have will have to be handled with the roster or Triple-A. Nobody's interested in doing any business this early in the season. Before June 15, you're basically on your own."

The injury news out of the Yankees' clubhouse wasn't all bad, though. Center fielder Curtis Granderson, on the DL since May 2 with a strain of the left groin, ran eight sprints at the stadium Friday and hit off a tee for the first time since the injury and declared himself ready for the next phase of his rehab.

"I'm excited with how everything went," Granderson said. "But we still have to be cautious with it."
Granderson, who hoped to try running the bases as early as Sunday, could not put a timetable on when he might be ready to return. "It all depends on whether we have any setbacks," he said.

Let's be honest with ourselves here. Did anyone really not see this coming? The guy is more injury prone than myself, which if you know me, is saying a lot.

I'm sure Cashman is kicking himself for signing Johnson over Damon now, even if Damon is struggling a little bit up there in Detroit.

I was never a big fan of the Johnson signing anyway, as his average has never been that high, even though his OBP is usually pretty good. But all of that hinges on whether he is hurt or not, which is more often than not. I'm sure Johnson won't be back next year and that was clearly a waste of $5.5 mil.