The Yankees and Jorge Posada made it official on Monday: rather than try to come back as a designated hitter, Posada will undergo season-ending surgery to repair labrum and capsule damage in his right shoulder.
The trade for Xavier Nady gave the Yankees enough offensive punch to allow Posada the time to recover from the surgery and be ready for 2009. At least, that is the Yankees’ hope.
“You can’t expect anything -– you hope,” General Manager Brian Cashman said. “When you mess with shoulders, those are the dangerous ones.”
Posada had told reporters earlier that he hoped to keep playing, and he even took some swings before meeting with Cashman and Manager Joe Girardi. He said in a statement that he agreed with the decision.
“With Xavier here now, there isn’t as much pressure on me to return,” Posada said. “As difficult as it is, I can now focus on coming back 100 percent for next season instead of coming back at less than that now.”
