Yankees' outfielder Johnny Damon has been placed on the disabled list for the first time in his career because of an injured shoulder, according to The New York Times. "I knew the team needed to get another body up here because I couldn?t promise when I will be ready," Damon said. "We could have kept giving it a couple of days, but the team would still be in a bind. This way, the minimum games I would miss is 10 games." Damon, a fourteen-year veteran, hoped to avoid his first stint on the DL, but his shoulder was extremely swollen when he woke up on Sunday. "He?s been a heck of a player for us here," Cashman said of activating Damon once he is able to swing the bat. "So if we have a chance to get him back, even if it?s his bat only, we have to think hard about that because he?s been a big part of our offense."