Robertson Relieved Injury Is Only A Bone Bruise
KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP) — Awkwardly using crutches for the first time since he was 9 years old, Yankees reliever David Robertson made the way to his locker on the left side of the New York Yankees' spring training clubhouse as Joba Chamberlain ran by with some good-natured, sarcastic remarks about carrying boxes.
After learning Robertson's foot injury was minor, the reliever and his teammates could laugh.
"There's always a little worry," Robertson said. "Now that I've heard the news, I'm happy."
Two days after Robertson fell on the stairs of his home in St. Petersburg, tests results came back Friday afternoon that diagnosed a bone bruise. Robertson stayed back in Tampa on Saturday for treatment while many of his teammates bused for a spring training game against the Atlanta Braves.
"I don't sense he's going to be out that long," manager Joe Girardi said.
Robertson planned work out later Saturday to exercise his rotator cuff and his abs. He wanted no part of throwing from a chair.
"I'm hoping to avoid that. I've seen people do it," he said. "I'll wait an extra day — or try to."
Robertson is to wear a protective boot through Sunday. He won't throw on a mound until the soreness is gone.
Before the test results came in, Robertson was a little bit worried.
"My thoughts were, worst-case scenario, let's say something is broken, it would be four, five weeks, come back and just stay off it. It would ruin me for the start of the season," he said.
He missed a step on Wednesday night and Thursday that an initial exam looked relatively good.
"The reason I wasn't that concerned is just because they said if usually something is broken, you're going to have a lot of discoloration, you're going to have some swelling, and I didn't really have that," he said. "I just had kind of that soreness-pain."
New York expects he'll be ready for the opener against Tampa on April 6. Still, he won't be appearing in exhibition games for a little bit.
"You would have to have him throw a bullpen before, or maybe two bullpens before he goes back out, I would think," Girardi said.
NOTES: With the Yankees divided into split squads Sunday, Girardi will go with the half that plays the Twins in Fort Myers, where Phil Hughes makes his second spring training start. "He can take it how he wants. I'm curious to see because I was pleased with what I saw the other day," Girardi said. Earlier in the week, Girardi said he was disappointed with Hughes' fitness in spring training last year but the pitcher's conditioning was much improved this year. Both Girardi and Hughes said evaluations aren't made until exhibition starts four, five and six. "You still don't want to go out there and not show anything," Hughes said. ... Mariano Rivera is to make his spring training debut with the half that hosts a Phillies' split squad.
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