A sore right elbow has kept Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner out of the lineup since mid-April, and, unfortunately for New York, the elbow isn't getting better. Gardner "came up sore" Monday, said manager Joe Girardi, and the Yankees are concerned, tweeted YES Network's Jack Curry.
Gardner told his agent he wouldn't have been able to take batting practice on Monday had it been scheduled, Curry also tweeted. Gardner will have an MRI on Tuesday to determine whether the injury is worse than the strained right elbow of which he's been diagnosed.
Gardner's injury is why the Yankees are more inclined to trade for outfield help than pitching right now, as CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman wrote earlier on Monday.
They've talked to the Phillies about Shane Victorino and the Diamondbacks about Justin Upton, but Upton is a major long shot for them and right now they see the price tag as too high on either. Victorino may be slightly more realistic eventually, though. ...
Gardner is due to try to come back later this month, but his past attempts to do so have been unsuccessful. Raul Ibanez and Andruw Jones have done very well filing in, but the Yankees may have concern about wear and tear on those two veterans as the season drags on.
If the Yankees do make a deal, they're loaded with prospects in Class A, wrote CBSSports.com's Danny Knobler.
