Martin Will Not Play First Spring Game

If you're one of those Yankees fans that was worried when the Yankees signed Russell Martin to be their starting catcher because of his long, but recent, injury history, you should be just that, concerned.

No, actually you shouldn't be very concerned, but at first glance you have every right to be.

I read the headline that Martin would miss the first spring game because of his ongoing recovery from offseason knee surgery and I immediately said "oh great, here we go." But then I read on and discovered that it is just precautionary and just part of the recovery process that Martin is going through.

"I don't think he's quite ready to go and I'm not going to rush him,'' manager Joe Girardi said Wednesday at George M. Steinbrenner Field. "He still talks about [his knee] doesn't quite feel the same as it did before. I told him, I want to know when you're 100 percent. Because I don't want any setbacks with him. When I put him in, I want him to be ready to go.''

The 28-year-old Martin passed a physical before signing a one-year, $4 million contract in December to replace Jorge Posada behind the plate. But within a matter of days, it was announced he would undergo surgery to repair "a small meniscus tear'' in his right knee, the same surgery both Posada and CC Sabathia underwent in the offseason.

At the time, general manager Brian Cashman said, "It's not a serious surgery at all,'' that Martin's recovery would take two to three weeks and that the catcher would be "back to normal within a month.''

But now, nine weeks after the surgery, Martin is still feeling discomfort. Worse, on Wednesday, he added three ominous letters to the mix: MCL, as in medial collateral ligament.

"I injured my MCL in the offseason,'' Martin said. "But the surgery wasn't for the MCL, it was for the meniscus. When they looked at my knee they saw that I had a meniscus issue as well, so in the time it would take for the MCL to heal, the surgery would heal, so they might as well do it. It was just a prevention type thing.''

Whatever the real extent of the injury, it has so far prevented Martin from participating in the full range of catching drills -- he has not taken part in blocking drills yet -- and will keep him out of the first spring training game at least.

Coupled with the injuries that marred his 2010 season with the Dodgers -- Martin tore his right hip labrum on a slide last August -- it raises the possibility that Posada -- penciled in as the full-time designated hitter for this year -- may still have use for his catching gear after all.

Girardi refused to say who would catch on Saturday -- Francisco Cervelli, last year's backup, and rookie Jesus Montero are the likely choices -- but Posada put the gear on for the first time Wednesday and is scheduled to catch his first bullpen of the spring on Thursday.

"We're just keeping Jorge's catching skills sharp,'' Girardi said.

Girardi said he was not sure when Martin would be well enough to catch in a game.

"I hope it's just three or four days, but if it takes more, it takes more,'' he said.

"It's still a little bit stiff, it's not 100 percent yet,'' Martin said. "But how it felt the first day compared to now the progression has been really good. This is more a conservative-type thing, to make sure I will be ready. Instead of getting started too early and having a setback and missing the early part of the season, which I do not want to do. I want to be out there from Day 1."

Let's be realistic here and don't over react. Martin will be fine and behind the dish when Opening Day 2011 comes around 35 days from now.

He is coming off knee surgery. Yeah, it was a minor surgery, but people rehab differently than other people and just because Sabathia and Posada are fine now, doesn't mean Martin is 100% yet.

Once you go under the knife once, you are never the same again, no matter how minor the surgery is. If Martin can get back his hitting ability, which I really think he can with Kevin Long as his hitting coach, he will be a huge asset in the No. 9 hole in the Yanks lineup.

Don't read much into this, folks. Martin will be fine.