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Sheffield And Hillenbrand Exit After CollisionGary Sheffield and Sheah Hillenbrand left Saturday afternoon's game after colliding in a play at first base. Sheffield suffered contusions on his left wrist and right knee and is day-to-day. The Yankees defeated the Blue Jays by a final score of 17-6. New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays Read the Full Story Discuss Send Feedback Buy Tickets Burnett's Comeback Will Be Mental Too
"I have no timetable," Burnett said after last night's 8-2 win over the O's. "I have none. I wish I could tell you, but I don't (have a schedule). We're going to rest it, we're going to rest it, we're going to rest it and then when I pick it up (and throw), I'm going to pick it up slow. Pain is one thing, but what I'm feeling is different. I'm not going to go back out there until I'm 100 per cent. "I'm convinced that the ligament is intact," a relieved Burnett said, but added his own caveat. "There was definitely something in there when I was throwing and I need to get that out before I go back in. It could be anything. It could be that scar tissue that they mentioned as well. It could be a little bit of fraying that's going on in the ligament, but as far as a tear or being torn or blown, it shows that there's no way that's possible." Toronto Blue Jays Read the Full Story Discuss Send Feedback Buy Tickets No Structural Damage On Burnett's Elbow
The club said Andrews, who performed ligament-replacement surgery on Burnett's elbow in 2003, found a mild sprain of Burnett's ulnar collateral ligament and slight straining of scar tissue in the elbow during the exam in Birmingham, Ala. It is a reoccurrence of the same injury Burnett suffered during spring training and forced him to start the season on the disabled list, although the Blue Jays kept the ligament sprain secret at the time. A team official said Monday that the sprained ligament wasn't cause for concern and that Burnett can pitch to his pain threshold without damaging it further. Other officials privately feel Burnett needs to suck it up and pitch through the pain without worrying about blowing out his elbow again since there are no major problems. They won't put any pressure on him to rush back, however, preferring to let Burnett get comfortable with the injury before activating him from the disabled list. "We're doing everything we're supposed to do," general manager J.P. Ricciardi said Saturday. "If the guy tells you he's hurt, you have to respect that, you've got to go with it. "But we're not alarmed." The team will re-evaluate Burnett when he's eligible to come off the disabled list May 7. Toronto Blue Jays Read the Full Story Discuss Send Feedback Buy Tickets Blue Jays Apr 2006 Archive
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Listening to A.J. Burnett talk carefully about his injured right elbow and speculate on a time frame for a comeback, perhaps Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi had a point. It seems Burnett's final solution will be as much mental as physical in getting the oft-disabled right-hander back in the rotation whenever it is that he's healthy again.