Alex Rodriguez will be placed on the New York Yankees’ disabled list after an 88 mph pitch from Felix Hernandez broke his hand Tuesday night in the eighth inning of the Yankees second to last game against the Seattle Mariners. Rodriguez will return to New York with the rest of his teammates after the final game on Wednesday.
The Yankees say Rodriguez sustained a non-displaced fracture in his left hand. The team did not give a timeline for his recovery, but it is expected he will be out at least 6 to 8 weeks. Rodriguez was the third player to be hit by a wayward pitch from Hernandez Tuesday night – former Mariners star Ichiro Suzuki was hit in the foot in the seventh inning and shortstop Derek Jeter was hit in the eighth inning just before Rodriguez. The Yankees ended up losing the game 4-2.
“It's difficult. Tough break,” Rodriguez said after their loss.
Jeter said Rodriguez’s absence will be a challenge for the team. “You find out how good you are. Other guys are going to have to step up,” he said. “We can't feel sorry for ourselves because no one else is going to. It's going to be a challenge, but it's been a challenge for all the injuries we've had this season.”
For his part, Hernandez apologized for the pitch. "It was getting away. It was a changeup to A-Rod. I feel bad,” he said. "It was just the command and it was up."
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