Mark Teixeira to the 15-Day DL, Possibly Out for Season

Saturday morning the New York Yankees placed first baseman Mark Teixeira on the 15-day disabled list with a right knee injury. While the team is keeping their options open, GM Brian Cashman told Chad Jennings of the Lohud Yankees’ Blog that season-ending surgery is a possibility.

Mark Teixeira left Friday night’s game after the second inning because of discomfort in his knee. He underwent an MRI and the results were apparently not good. Combined with the neck spasms that have plagued the 36-year-old for the first two months of the season, it is no wonder Teixeira’s production has plummeted in 2016. Injuries have certainly played a role in his .180/.271/.263 batting line. Expecting a repeat of his borderline-MVP 2015 would have been optimistic, but a healthy Tex would be unlikely to fall off a cliff this quickly.

While Teixeira does have a history of knee issues that predate his time in pinstripes, they have generally have responded to rest and injections. Cashman hopes that this injury will be no different, telling Jennings, “The initial effort is going to try to be to treat it conservatively with rest, probably involving injections, and then see how he responds to that…If that doesn’t work, then you’re looking at a surgical procedure. If that’s the case, then his season is probably done.”

Related Story: Is Rob Refsnyder the Answer at First Base?

Because of his expiring contract and the Yankees’ efforts to get younger, this is widely seen as Texieria’s last season in the Bronx. If this is truly the end of his 2016 campaign, it would be a disappointing conclusion to an underrated Yankees career. While his injury history and recent decline have made him a frequent target for fans frustrated with the aging roster, Teixeira has lived up to his end of the eight year $160 million contract he signed prior to the 2009 season. He received MVP votes in half of the seasons he played in New York, and added three Gold Glove awards for good measure.

First baseman and outfielder Chris Parmelee was called up from Triple-A Scranton to take Teixeira’s place on the roster. He will compete for playing time with Rob Refsnyder, who made his first professional appearance at the position when he replaced Teixeira in the third inning. While Refsnyder wasn’t severely tested, he did make it out of the game without embarrassing himself, which has to be counted as a win at this point. Since they hit from opposing sides of the plate, a Parmelee/Refsnyder platoon may be the sensible plan for the moment. Austin Romine has also seen time at the position lately, giving the team a little flexibility to mix and match.