With Mark Teixeira out for at least the first month of the regular season with a strained tendon in his right wrist and few viable options to replace him within the organization, the New York Yankees are getting creative in trying to fill the hole in their line-up for the beginning of the year.
The New York Times’ David Waldstein reported on Monday that the Yankees have been in contact with retired first baseman Derrek Lee about filling in while Teixeira is out with the injury. Waldstein indicates that as of Sunday night, no deal appeared imminent, but that Lee was most certainly interested and the idea could always be revisited.
Lee, 37, last played in the major leagues in 2011, when he played in 113 games for the Baltimore Orioles and Pittsburgh Pirates. During that season, Lee hit .267 and hit 19 home runs.
Bringing in Lee is an interesting prospect, as it could indicate that Texieira will be out for longer than initially expected. With camp ending in just a few weeks, it is uncertain whether Lee could be ready for Opening Day, and the Yankees could be preparing for the fact that Teixeira may eventually need surgery on his wrist.
The internal candidates to replace Teixeira include third baseman Kevin Youkilis and non-roster invitees Juan Rivera and Dan Johnson.
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