AMERICAN LEAGUE
AP, NEW YORK
New York Yankees pitcher Wang Chien-Ming left Saturday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays with a strained right shoulder, putting his next start in jeopardy.
PHOTO: REUTERS
The Taiwanese, who missed time earlier this season with weakness in the adductor muscles in his hips, lasted six innings before going for an MRI that revealed the shoulder strain and bursitis.
“It was unfortunate because today was his best start,” said manager Joe Girardi, who wasn’t sure yet what the Yankees would do about Wang’s next turn in the rotation. “He’ll need some rest.”
The Yankees said they hoped the 29-year-old right-hander could return in a month.
Wang surrendered a two-run homer with one out in the sixth and threw a further pitch before catcher Jorge Posada motioned to the dugout that something was wrong.
Girardi and assistant trainer Steve Donohue came out to the mound and Wang headed for the dugout after a short discussion.
“Just the way he threw the ball,” Posada said. “It wasn’t like he followed through all the way through, kind of pushed it towards me.”
Wang also had shoulder problems in 2001 and 2005 but he said it was less painful this time and only bothered him on second to last pitch.
“On the home run pitch it felt a little tight but not pain,” he said.
“In ‘05, when I stretched my arm behind, it hurt,” Wang said through an interpreter. “This time, it’s different. I’m afraid if it takes surgery to repair, that would be the worst case. I hope that wouldn’t be the case.”
The Yankees could turn to Phil Hughes or Alfredo Aceves if Wang can’t make his next start. Hughes worked a perfect eighth inning as New York beat Toronto 6-5 in 12 innings.
Wang struggled at the beginning of the season but had looked better of late, earning his first win of the season in his previous outing and pitching at least five innings in each of his past four starts.
Wang, who won 38 games from 2006 to 2007, is 1-6 with a 9.64 ERA in 12 games, nine starts, this season.
Posada hit a game-winning single in the 12th inning.
With one out and runners on first and second, Posada lined a pitch into center field. Alex Rodriguez scored without a play at the plate.
The Yankees have won nine of 10 to move a season-best 14 games above .500 and pull within a game of AL East-leading Boston.
Toronto has lost six of seven.
Also See: Philadelphia cream Kings of Queens
The next generation of running talent takes center stage at today’s Berlin Marathon, in the absence of stars including Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge and Ethiopian world record holder Tigist Assefa. With most of the major marathon stars skipping the event in the wake of the Paris Olympics just more than a month ago, the field is wide open in the men’s and women’s races. Since 2015, Kipchoge has won five times in Berlin, Kenenisa Bekele has won twice and Guye Adola once — with all three missing today. Kenyan Kibiwott Kandie and Ethiopian Tadese Takele are among the favourites for the men, while
Japan’s Shohei Ohtani is the record-breaking baseball “superhuman” following in the footsteps of the legendary Babe Ruth who has also earned comparisons to US sporting greats Michael Jordan and Tom Brady. Not since Ruth a century ago has there been a baseball player capable of both pitching and hitting at the top level. The 30-year-old’s performances with the Los Angeles Dodgers have consolidated his position as a baseball legend in the making, and a national icon in his native Japan. He continues to find new ways to amaze, this year becoming the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases
Zhang Shuai yesterday said that she nearly quit after losing 24 matches in a row — now the world No. 595 is into the quarter-finals of her home China Open. The 35-year-old is to face Spain’s Paula Badosa as the lowest-ranked player to reach this stage in the history of the tournament after Badosa reeled off 11 of the last 12 games in a 6-4, 6-0 victory over US Open finalist Jessica Pegula. Zhang went into Beijing on a barren run lasting more than 600 days and her string of singles defeats was the second-longest on the WTA Tour Open era, which
Taiwan’s Tony Wu yesterday beat Mackenzie McDonald of the US to win the Nonthaburi Challenger IV in Thailand, his first challenger victory since 2022. The 26-year-old world No. 315, who won both his qualifiers to advance to the main draw, has been on a hot streak this month, winning his past nine matches, including two that ensured Taiwan’s victory in their Davis Cup World Group I tie. Wu took just more than two hours to top world No. 172 McDonald 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) to win his second challenger tournament since the Tallahassee Tennis Challenger in 2022. Wu’s Tallahassee win followed two years of
RSS