Youkilis, who ruptured the muscle on a swing in Monday night’s game against Cleveland, was headed for a second opinion today, and if he has to have surgery, it realistically would mean an end to his season, according to general manager Theo Epstein.
That’s the last thing the Sox wanted to hear, as they are heading into a key weekend series with the Yankees attempting to maintain relevance in the American League East.
“It’s baseball, and injuries are a part of the game,’’ Epstein said. “I feel like we’ve had more than our fair share, but no one’s going to feel sorry for us. We need to find a way to win, regardless.
“We’re just going to continue to do the best with what we have. I still feel like we put a good team on the field every night, and I feel like we have enough talent to get as hot as we’re going to need to get to do damage in this division.’’
The Sox hope to have more information on the Youkilis injury in the next few days, as he will head to at least one specialist. As manager Terry Francona said, “It was kind of unclear and there’s still some gray area involved here. Even the doctors, Dr. [Thomas] Gill and Dr. [Matthew] Leibman talked, and they’re searching for some answers.’’
“It’s just a freak accident, I guess,’’ Youkilis said. “I don’t know how it happened. I don’t know the reason behind it. None of the doctors really know the reason behind it. It just happened. I’ve just got to move forward from here.
“It’s misfortune, but I think for me personally I’ve been very fortunate with my health for a long time. I can’t get too upset because I’ve been very fortunate. I wish I could help the team out as much as I can. It’s one of those things; luckily it’s not a career-ending [injury]. I’ll still be able to play, just not right now.’’
Youkilis was wearing a white plastic splint on the hand after last night’s game. He said there was no particular event that precipitated the injury, which he started feeling when the team was on the West Coast. He said there was swelling and the area was tender to the touch, but it worsened Monday, when the area turned blue.
