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Apparently Kevin Long had some very unfortunate observations about Mark Teixeira's health:
K. Long said Teixeira hasn't been able to do tee work. Wrist caused "discomfort." "I don’t think that it’s been right since he’s been here."
— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughSL) June 16, 2013
Long added Teixeira's left-handed swing is not there right now. "You don’t see the whip and the bat speed that you see right-handed."
— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughSL) June 16, 2013
Long couldn't place a percentage on Teixeira's effectiveness, but said it was tough to watch when Tex is "certainly a shell of who he is."
— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughSL) June 16, 2013
So, not only has he not been healthy since returning from the DL, but it's also diminished his in-game abilities because of pain and weakness in his wrist. I have to wonder why he was allowed to come off the disabled list in the first place if this is how he felt. It would be like bringing Derek Jeter back before his ankle was 100% healthy, or something.
The Yankees have already poorly evaluated Kevin Youkilis and his back, sitting him for a week and then letting him play a game before putting him on the DL. Are the Yankees having trouble evaluating their injuries or are they just trying to cut corners where they think they can?
If Teixeira, a switch hitter, was feeling weakness from the left side, he should not have been allowed to come back in the first place. He could have rehabbed longer, rested more, or got the proper surgery to make himself right for next year if that had to happen. Now, if he needs the surgery, he's wasted precious rehab time and the team could have found a better solution than Lyle Overbay. This could not have gone more wrong for everyone involved.