New York Yankees’ Mark Teixeira out for post-season
New York Yankee all-star first baseman Mark Teixeira has been ruled out of the post-season after straining his right hamstring in the team’s loss to the Texas Rangers, in game four of the American League Championship Series on Tuesday 19 October.
The veteran pulled up while running to first on a ground ball he hit to the gap between second and third. Teixeira left the game immediately and has said that it will take between six and eight weeks for the injury to fully heal.
The Yankees are now forced to play veteran Lance Berkman at first base. Berkman has been filling in sporadically throughout the series, acting as the club’s designated hitter. The hole on the roster will be filled by 23-year-old Eduardo Nunez, who appeared
in 30 games for New York this season and managed a .280 batting-average, while recording seven RBIs.
The loss of Teixeira leaves a major hole in the Yankees batting order. The first baseman was slotted third in the line-up, right in front of clean-up hitter Alex Rodriguez. Yankees’ manager Joe Girardi has said that he will move Robinson Cano up to the number
three spot and place Berkman in the six-hole.
Teixeira struggled mightily in the ALCS, not registering a hit in the series, going a dreadful 0-for-14. The Yanks will hope that Berkman is able to spark a line-up that has looked inept the last three games, only registering five runs.
So far in the post-season Berkman has gone four-for-11, tallying three RBIs and earning a batting average of .364. Berkman is a 34-year-old veteran, who notched 14 home runs during the season.
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