Mike Francesa just reported on WFAN that 1B Mark Teixeira will be inactive due to neck spams. Teixeira has had his typical May struggles, batting only .202 thus far, and showing little power. His glove has always been an asset, but his May offensive struggles have haunted him for years, along with being bitten by the injury bug.
This can’t be all that bad, though. Maybe a break is what the veteran needed. Also, it increases the likelihood that we’ll see 2009 World Series champion member Nick Swisher back in pinstripes. He might not be up this week, but neck issues tend to come back, especially neck spasms. Teixeira could need time off again in the future. The 35 year old Swisher struggled with the Indians and Braves after his stint with the Yankees, but has been revitalized so far while playing for New York’s farm system. With three home runs and batting .271 in the minors, Swisher might be the perfect fill-in for Teixeira until he comes back. It seemed almost inevitable that we’d see Swish as soon as he signed a minor league deal with the Yankees.
Tex might only need a few days to recover, but perhaps being taken out of the lineup is what he needs.
