As if the news in Yankeeland couldn't get any worse the Evil Empire placed Alex Rodriguez on the 15 day DL on Tuesday with a strained quadricep in his right leg. Rodriguez had initially hurt the quad a couple of weeks ago, and missed some time that coincided with the birth of his second daughter, so it was time he would have missed anyway. The injury was aggravated on Monday night when Rodriguez said he felt a "pull" in the leg. He was immediately replaced in the game and sent for an MRI on Tuesday where the strain was revealed
The news comes on the heels of the Yankees getting initial word back from Dr. James Andrews that All-Star catcher Jorge Posada will not need potentially season ending surgery. However the Posada saga does not end there. Posada is still plans to get his shoulder's MRI examined by 3 more doctors including Reds team physician Dr. Timothy Kremchek who is a shoulder specialist,
Yankees team physician Stewart Hershon and finally the MRI World Tour will come to an end Thursday when New York Met medical director Dr. David Altchek has a chance to look at the MRI as well. Posada said he won't speculate on the MRI findings until all the parties involved have had a chance to give him their diagnosis and reveal if they feel surgery will be necessary.
FANTASY IMPACT
This is a complete disaster for A-Rod owners. He was probably the first pick in most drafts following his success last season, and is if his underachieving numbers this season weren't bad enough, now he won't be putting up any numbers for at least the next two weeks. The injury might actually help A-Rod long term as it will give the quad a good amount of time to heal, and perhaps some time off surrounding the birth of his child and early seasons struggles will give him a chance to clear his head and get himself right. It is widely accepted that most of A-Rods struggles in New York stem from him putting too much pressure on himself to perform, so the time off might do some good.
Look for Morgan Ensberg to fill in for A-Rod for the time being, but don't expect to see the Ensberg from the seasons of yesteryear, he is a different player now, without the power he once owned. Other good fill in options might be guys like, Jorge Cantu, Pedro Feliz, Andy Marte, or the recently recalled Angel's minor league slugger Brandon Wood.
We gave good fill in options for Posada when word officially broke that he would be going on the DL with the shoulder injury.
While none of these players can actually "replace" the production you'll get from A-Rod or Posada, they can give you some decent, productive numbers to help you stay afloat until they get healthy.
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