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NEW YORK -- The Yankees' starting rotation has been dealt a serious blow, as Chien-Ming Wang -- the Major Leagues' winningest pitcher over the last two-plus seasons -- may be lost for the remainder of the 2008 campaign.
The right-hander was examined Monday in New York and has been diagnosed with a mid-foot sprain of the Lisfranc ligament of the right foot and a partial tear of the peroneal longus tendon of the right foot.
Wang will be on crutches and wear a protective boot for at least six weeks, the Yankees said.
According to that timetable, Wang would not be walking freely until almost early August, and would require weeks of rehab duty to return his arm to Major League pitching condition, if he is to return at all during the 2008 season.
"This is a significant one, there's no doubt about it," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told WFAN. "Hopefully while he gets through the healing process and the rehab process, we can give him some purpose to get back to help us like he did in '05, when he missed a significant portion of time in the second half with a shoulder injury. It's up to us to make sure that he's coming back for a reason."
The evaluations were made Monday at at the New York Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia Medical Center, with Wang being examined by Yankees team physician Dr. Stuart Hershon and Dr. Justin Greisberg, a foot and ankle specialist.
Wang suffered the injury while running the bases in the sixth inning of Sunday's 13-0 Yankees victory over the Houston Astros at Minute Paid Park.
Playing under National League rules, Wang had reached base on a fielder's choice and was sent home by third-base coach Bobby Meacham to score on a two-run Derek Jeter single to right field. Wang made it home without a throw, scoring New York's fifth run of the game, but he was hobbled coming around third base.
Yankees manager Joe Girardi speculated that Wang hurt himself stepping on the third-base bag, but Mike Mussina said Wang told him he had slipped on the grass. He stumbled to the plate, where lead runner Robinson Cano immediately signaled to the dugout for assistance.
"I saw him turn third base and he started limping, so I stopped and waited at home plate to see what happened," Cano said Sunday. "He said it was his foot. As soon as he scored, he just bent over and put his hands on his knees."
Wang was fitted with a soft cast on his right foot and required crutches as he flew home to New York with the Yankees after Sunday's game, using a golf cart to get from the visiting clubhouse to the bus.
His next scheduled start was to come on Saturday against the Cincinnati Reds, and the Yankees have not announced who will make that start. Right-hander Dan Giese is already on the Major League roster and could be shifted into the rotation on a temporary basis, while left-hander Kei Igawa has already made one start for the Yankees at Triple-A and could be considered. The Yankees are expected to strongly engage the trade market for a longer-term solution.
Wang had thrown five scoreless innings in Sunday's game against the Astros and qualified for the victory, improving to 8-2 this season with a 4.05 ERA. He has 46 wins since the beginning of the 2006 season, tops among all Major Leaguers.
"When you lose probably our No. 1 starting pitcher, that's very hard to replace," Mussina said Sunday.
Wang's injury is the second Lisfranc-related diagnosis for the Yankees this season, a rarity, considering injuries of that type do not normally affect baseball players.
Right-handed reliever Brian Bruney slipped and fell during an April 23 game in Chicago and injured the Lisfranc joint on his right foot. Like Wang, Bruney was able to avoid surgery and is eyeing a possible return to Major League duty in late July.
The Yankees' season has been marred by injury, with Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada among the notable star players to spend time on the disabled list.
New York's starting pitchers have also not been immune, though losing Wang for an extended period of time is clearly the most damaging pitching injury to date. Hyped young hurlers Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy are both currently on the disabled list after going winless through their first 15 combined games of the season.
"You wonder, 'Why?'" Girardi said Sunday. "It makes you stronger as a club and as individuals. You've got to find ways to get things done. We were without Alex for a while, [Derek] Jeter and Posada. You have to find a way."
The right-hander was examined Monday in New York and has been diagnosed with a mid-foot sprain of the Lisfranc ligament of the right foot and a partial tear of the peroneal longus tendon of the right foot.
Wang will be on crutches and wear a protective boot for at least six weeks, the Yankees said.
According to that timetable, Wang would not be walking freely until almost early August, and would require weeks of rehab duty to return his arm to Major League pitching condition, if he is to return at all during the 2008 season.
"This is a significant one, there's no doubt about it," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told WFAN. "Hopefully while he gets through the healing process and the rehab process, we can give him some purpose to get back to help us like he did in '05, when he missed a significant portion of time in the second half with a shoulder injury. It's up to us to make sure that he's coming back for a reason."
The evaluations were made Monday at at the New York Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia Medical Center, with Wang being examined by Yankees team physician Dr. Stuart Hershon and Dr. Justin Greisberg, a foot and ankle specialist.
Wang suffered the injury while running the bases in the sixth inning of Sunday's 13-0 Yankees victory over the Houston Astros at Minute Paid Park.
Playing under National League rules, Wang had reached base on a fielder's choice and was sent home by third-base coach Bobby Meacham to score on a two-run Derek Jeter single to right field. Wang made it home without a throw, scoring New York's fifth run of the game, but he was hobbled coming around third base.
Yankees manager Joe Girardi speculated that Wang hurt himself stepping on the third-base bag, but Mike Mussina said Wang told him he had slipped on the grass. He stumbled to the plate, where lead runner Robinson Cano immediately signaled to the dugout for assistance.
"I saw him turn third base and he started limping, so I stopped and waited at home plate to see what happened," Cano said Sunday. "He said it was his foot. As soon as he scored, he just bent over and put his hands on his knees."
Wang was fitted with a soft cast on his right foot and required crutches as he flew home to New York with the Yankees after Sunday's game, using a golf cart to get from the visiting clubhouse to the bus.
His next scheduled start was to come on Saturday against the Cincinnati Reds, and the Yankees have not announced who will make that start. Right-hander Dan Giese is already on the Major League roster and could be shifted into the rotation on a temporary basis, while left-hander Kei Igawa has already made one start for the Yankees at Triple-A and could be considered. The Yankees are expected to strongly engage the trade market for a longer-term solution.
Wang had thrown five scoreless innings in Sunday's game against the Astros and qualified for the victory, improving to 8-2 this season with a 4.05 ERA. He has 46 wins since the beginning of the 2006 season, tops among all Major Leaguers.
"When you lose probably our No. 1 starting pitcher, that's very hard to replace," Mussina said Sunday.
Wang's injury is the second Lisfranc-related diagnosis for the Yankees this season, a rarity, considering injuries of that type do not normally affect baseball players.
Right-handed reliever Brian Bruney slipped and fell during an April 23 game in Chicago and injured the Lisfranc joint on his right foot. Like Wang, Bruney was able to avoid surgery and is eyeing a possible return to Major League duty in late July.
The Yankees' season has been marred by injury, with Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada among the notable star players to spend time on the disabled list.
New York's starting pitchers have also not been immune, though losing Wang for an extended period of time is clearly the most damaging pitching injury to date. Hyped young hurlers Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy are both currently on the disabled list after going winless through their first 15 combined games of the season.
"You wonder, 'Why?'" Girardi said Sunday. "It makes you stronger as a club and as individuals. You've got to find ways to get things done. We were without Alex for a while, [Derek] Jeter and Posada. You have to find a way."
