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Mark Teixeira is still bothered by a nagging wrist injury, but the Yankees first baseman knows in the dog days of August that every team and every player is battling some sort of injury. His team just took 3 of 4 from the Texas Rangers and currently owns the best record in the American League at 70-48. All year the Yankees have fought injuries to star players such as Mariano Rivera, Alex Rodriguez, Andy Pettitte, CC Sabathia and Nick Swisher and found a way to win with consistent starting pitcher. No.25 credits his starting pitching staff for the tremendous job they have done so far.
Mark Teixeira joined 660 WFAN in New York with Boomer and Carton to discuss the New York Yankees scoreboard watching at this time of year, the Yankees starting pitching finding a way to win games despite injuries, the status of his wrist injury, when he believes Alex Rodriguez will come back from a broken hand and Melky Cabrera using testosterone.
You guys took 3 of 4 from the Texas Rangers this week. It’s a crazy time of year isn’t it?
“Yeah it’s good. At this time of the year I was talking to some of the reporters the other day. You do start scoreboard watching this time of year. You do start paying attention to where people are in the standings. When you do have a chance to beat teams that are close to you in the division or for the best record in baseball it’s good.”
How do the Yankees somehow and some way find a way to win games with all the injuries this season?
“You know I point to the starting pitching. I’ve been saying it all year. We have been beat up. We’ve had a few injuries, but who hasn’t in baseball? It’s kind of a war of attrition in baseball this year, but at the same time if it’s not for our starting pitching we are not in first place. We are not talking about having the best starting pitching in the American League. We are not trying to talk about home field advantage, but the starting pitching has been so huge for us all year.”
How is the wrist? Any issues?
“It’s still a little sore. It’s one of those things that it’s going to take a little bit of time to get completely healed, but at this point of the year we are dealing with something. You are going to deal with something all year, so it’s my little thing I have to deal with right now.
Give me an update on Alex Rodriguez. What has he been telling you guys about his hand?
“It’s going to take a little while. He has been doing everything he can without using the hand. It’s tough in baseball because your hands are pretty much everything for you as a hitter and a fielder. He’s running every day. He’s working out. He’s throwing the football. He’s throwing the baseball. He’s doing one-handed drills off the tee and in the batting cage. He’s doing everything he can. He’s kind of chomping at the bit to get back.”
Former Yankee Melky Cabrera was found using testosterone. How prevalent is this in baseball?
“I really don’t think it’s that prevalent. Ten years ago my answer would have been different when I first broke into the league. I was talking to George King [NY Post Yankees Beat Writer] the other day and when this happens everyone says, ‘Okay the fans are going to think it’s all over baseball again and we have a problem.’ Laws and rules are going to be broken. That’s the facts of the matter. Just because you have a law or a rule out there doesn’t mean you have 100% compliance. The thing baseball can proud of and the players can be proud of is that we have done everything we can to try to get steroids out of baseball.”
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