Injury Bug Bites Hard

Thursday night's loss to the Red Sox cost the Yankees more than first place and a loss to their hated rival, they also lost ironman slugger Hideki Matsui. After a streak of playing in more than 1700 consecutive games for the Yomiuri Giants and New York Yankees, left fielder Hideki Matsui broke his wrist diving for a shallow fly off the bat of Mark Loretta. For the Yankees, this is their second All-Star outfielder to land on the DL in recent weeks. Matsui is expected to miss at least three months. The question now is, what do the Yankees do about their sudden outfield problems? Triple A outfielder Melky Cabrera was recalled from Columbus to fill in for Sheffield, but it is apparent the Yankees will not just use prospects to bandage the Matsui injury. Talks run rampant, so let's break down the possibilities:

Alfonso Soriano, LF, Washington Nationals: My personal favorite to fill the need. Since leaving the Bronx he's had plenty of character issues, but this never happened underneath Joe Torre's management. He was not the ideal lead-off hitter during his last tenure in the Bronx, but that pressure is relieved by the presence of Johnny Damon. He'd be an ideal 5 hitter and it is widely believed that you can hide fielding deficiencies out in Left. He'd cherish the opportunity to be back in the Bronx and the Nationals would love to unload his lucrative deal on a willing taker.

Torii Hunter: A very close second to Soriano in my book, and probably a more ideal fit for the Yankees. His presence in the outfield could cover up the other deficiencies out there. The best defensive centerfield in the American League (probably in MLB) and would fill more than just a short term need. He covers a ton of ground and would be able to take advantage of hitting in a stronger lineup. He possesses decent power and could be a big time run producer in this lineup. Minnesota would covet top prospects which might be tough for the Yankees to manage, but they've shown interest in Hunter and could be willing to meet the Twins asking price.

Shannon Stewart: Hunter's outfield mate has been a consistent performer for many years in this league. Unlike Hunter, he's a left fielder and could directly fill Matsui's void without causing a massive outfield shuffle. Bringing in a Hunter or Soriano could cause real problems once Matsui returns and there are 4 All-Star outfielders. While a platoon could keep them all getting AB's, some people may not be able to handle sharing the spotlight. Bringing in a guy like Stewart would allow for this not to be a problem, yet be a more than serviceable fix. Also, his price tag and asking price will be significantly less than the other two.

These are just three names that are floating around to fill the void. Some people also report that Reds outfielders Ken Griffey Jr. or Austin Kearns could head to the Bronx, but until the Reds fall out of the Central race neither of them should be available. ESPN.com's Buster Olney suggests that Bobby Abreu, Aubrey Huff, and Mike Cameron could be in the mix, and he believes that Abreu might be the most feasible. However, some people believe Abreu's physical skills are deteriorating so eating up his large contract for three months of service seems foolish. The Yankees are yet to pick up Sheffield's option for next year, so acquiring a CF such as Hunter wouldn't be a bad move. Looking in to the future, Damon could slide over to right (a la Bernie this year on ocassion) and Matsui could resume left field duties next season. Although it has not been mentioned, and probably has about as good of a chance to happen as me slipping on a Red Sox jersey, but how about Andruw Jones? The Braves are sliding in the NL East and a continued plunge could spell rebuilding. He's locked in for another couple years, but what Yankee fan could forget how he exploded on to the scene at age 19 in the '96 World Series. He's now established himself as one of the premier players in baseball and brings a winning mentality being part of a division winner in each of his major league seasons. However, he's been a consistent producer in the Braves lineup for many years and I would be shocked if he put on a different uniform. Just wishful thinking for Yankees fans, but with King George, you never know who might come walking in the door.