Yankees activate Brett Gardner

Brett Gardner hasn't played in a major-league game since April. But he could now appear for the Yankees in their nine remaining games, because he's back on the active roster.

Brett Gardner Having Elbow Surgery, Season Likely Over

When the Yankees’ Brett Gardner hurt his right elbow — not the one he throws with — making a diving catch attempt on April 17, it didn’t seem too serious. Typical routine: disabled list, rehab assignment, maybe back in a month.

Except it didn’t work that way. Gardner had three setbacks, a platelet injection, and now he’s going to have surgery on the elbow. Evan Dreilich:

New York will most likely carry on the rest of the season without Gardner, who is scheduled for arthroscopic surgery on his right (non-throwing) elbow next week. Gardner’s 2012 seemingly ends with just nine games played, the last on April 17.

“They made it sound like we probably won’t have him the rest of this year,” said manager Joe Girardi after a 4-3 loss to the A’s Thursday night. He learned Gardner was headed for surgery before the game. “Let’s get it cleaned up and get him healthy.”

Meanwhile, the loss of Gardner hasn’t seemed to hurt the Yankees at all. They’ve had veterans Raul Ibanez, Andruw Jones and DeWayne Wise fill in, and have the best record in baseball, 57-35. They’ll miss Gardner’s speed, but they seem to find ways to win regardless.

For more on the Yankees, please visit Pinstripe Alley and SB Nation New York.

Brett Gardner Could Miss Rest Of 2012 Season

Brett Gardner of the Yankees has now been out for three months following an elbow injury that happened April 17 when he tried to make a diving catch in a game against the Twins.

This shouldn’t have been a serious injury, but it has been, and now he’s suffered another setback after a rehab game Sunday. Brendan Prunty:

Several times, Gardner looked as if he was on the verge of being cleared to resume playing full time — only to be shut down three times.

Gardner has undergone a battery of tests already to determine the reason for the nagging soreness that continues to pop up.

He has already had two MRIs and has been examined by orthopedic surgeon James Andrews. None of them have been able to find anything out of the ordinary that is plaguing Gardner.

Prunty’s article suggests that Gardner could even miss the rest of the season. Meanwhile, the Yankees have been cruising without him; they have the best record in baseball. That’s not cause-and-effect, but they apparently haven’t missed him. Go figure.

For more on the Yankees, please visit Pinstripe Alley and SB Nation New York.

Brett Gardner Has Platelet Injection, Out 3-4 More Weeks

The Yankees’ Brett Gardner suffered an elbow injury making a diving catch in April. It didn’t appear too bad at first, but he couldn’t swing a bat, which delayed even attempting that until late May.

At last, he was sent on a rehab assignment last week, but problems happened there. New York Daily News:

Gardner began a rehab assignment with Single-A Charleston Friday night and went 1-for-3 with a run scored and a stolen base. But when Gardner woke up Saturday morning, the pain in his right elbow had returned and that was not good news in Yankeeville.

“He woke up and had pain so he’s going to see the doctor on Monday again,” Joe Girardi said. “Obviously it’s a setback, and I’m not sure when we’ll see him now.

Brian Cashman said Gardner will see Dr. James Andrews on Tuesday and Dr. Tim Kremchek in Cincinnati on Thursday.

Here’s the result of those doctor visits:

Gardner got a PRP injection today. Out 3-4 more weeks. Docs find that elbow injury simply hadn’t healed.

— Marc Carig (@MarcCarig) June 14, 2012

PRP is “platelet-rich plasma”; supposedly this speeds healing. At three to four more weeks, Gardner likely won’t see any action until after the All-Star break.

Meanwhile, the Yankees have taken over first place without him, so they surely won’t rush him back.

Brett Gardner Begins Taking 'Dry Swings'

Earlier in May, the Yankees’ Brett Gardner suffered a setback in his comeback from an elbow injury.

Monday, he took a step toward returning to action. From Marc Carig:

Brett Gardner’s latest attempt to finally come off the disabled list began today when the injured outfielder was allowed to swing a bat for the first time in nearly two weeks. He took only "dry swings," meaning that he didn’t actually hit baseballs, but it’s progress for the speedy outfielder who has been on the shelf since April 18.

Under the best-case scenario, Gardner could make his return to the Yankees in as little as 10 days.

The term “dry swings” makes one wonder what “wet swings” might be. But perhaps that’s a story for a different website.

The Yankees have missed Gardner’s speed in the field and on the bases. They hope he can go on a rehab assignment soon, but before that he’ll have to swing without aggravating the injury.

Brett Gardner Experiences Injury Setback

Initially, the New York Yankees placed Brett Gardner on the disabled list with an elbow injury even though his elbow injury didn't seem to be that bad. The expectation was that Gardner would return after the minimum amount of time.

About that - that isn't going to happen. Gardner had a setback during a minor-league rehab assignment, and he was sent for an MRI. The updated word:

Gardner has basically reinjured himself. Not picking up a bat for 10 days.

— Marc Carig (@MarcCarig) May 11, 2012

According to Joe Girardi, Gardner's now going to miss another 15-25 days. He's not dealing with anything all that serious, but he's dealing with something he simply can't play through.

Since Gardner went down, the Yankees have played Andruw Jones, Raul Ibanez, Eduardo Nunez, Jayson Nix, and Dewayne Wise in left field. Which is all to say that the Yankees will be happy to have Gardner back, when Gardner is back. He's posted a .365 OBP since 2010, and he's considered one of the game's very best defensive outfielders. The same cannot be said of those other guys.

Brett Gardner Lands On Disabled List With Elbow Injury

Brett Gardner has an elbow injury, and while it seemed like a day-to-day thing, the Yankees have placed him on the disabled list.