TAMPA — A somber Joba Chamberlain did not have much to say when he was wheeled out of St. Joseph’s Hospital and into a waiting SUV shortly before noon yesterday, but Yankees manager Joe Girardi sounded confident a gruesome ankle injury would not keep Chamberlain out for the entire 2012 season.
“I am optimistic he will pitch for us this year,” Girardi said after the Yankees and Tigers played to a 1-1, 10-inning exhibition tie at Steinbrenner Field yesterday. “I saw him Friday. I’m pretty optimistic after talking to him. It’s good to see him doing well.”
The 26-year-old righty reliever, who suffered an open dislocation of his right ankle on Thursday while jumping on a trampoline with his 5-year-old son at a Tampa-area children’s recreation center, was asked if he was OK and said, “Yeah.”
He declined to answer any other questions, saying, “I’ll talk to you [tomorrow].”
Despite Chamberlain’s understandably dour mood, both Girardi and general manager Brian Cashman said they were pleased with the progress Chamberlain has made since having surgery to repair the horrific injury in which the bone broke through the skin.
The Yankees want to reduce the chance of infection, which could have longer-term, career-threatening consequences. With every day that goes by, the odds of him getting an infection subside.
“First and foremost, this was a unique injury,” Cashman said. “The risky stuff on the low end of the spectrum is all we care about right now. After that we start worrying about baseball stuff.’’
Chamberlain will remain in a cast for six weeks and likely will not be able to do any weight-bearing activity for up to four months.
The ankle injury, combined with the fact that Chamberlain’s recovery from last year’s Tommy John surgery is now stalled, has jeopardized his season — but the Yankees were encouraged by CT scan results showing no microfractures.
“You know Joba, he is a healer,” Cashman said. “He gets hurt, but his healing process is really significant. We are counting on that. That’s why my gut tells me that he is going to be OK. I hope I am right on that. I can rely on the history.’’
Before Thursday’s accident, the Yankees expected Chamberlain to be back in the bullpen by June because his recovery from elbow surgery was ahead of schedule.
That is part of the reason Cashman said Chamberlain was so upset about yet another injury.
“He is down, but at the same time he has perspective,” Cashman said. “His attitude is the reality of what has taken place. He has to do what’s necessary to get back to where he needs to be, and I think he understands that. He is frustrated and sad. But at the same time, he is a man. He knows what the road ahead is and he isn’t afraid of it.’’
According to Cashman, Chamberlain said doctors told him he could be on a mound as early as July in the best-case scenario. No medical developments have changed that diagnosis.
“Everything is going as good as expected,” Cashman said. “So far everything looks great, as far as I’ve been told.”
Cashman has called Chamberlain’s absence in the Yankees bullpen “a massive loss,” but his concern remains for the former phenom’s overall recovery.
“He told me to tell people thanks for praying for him,’’ Cashman said.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY GEORGE A. KING III