Wang departs Yankees' game with shoulder strain

By JAY COHEN
AP Sports Writer

NEW YORK — Yankees starter Chien-Ming Wang left Saturday’s
game against the Toronto Blue Jays with a strained right
shoulder, putting his next start in jeopardy.

Wang allowed four runs and six hits before he was replaced in
the sixth inning. Wang, who missed time earlier this season with
weakness in the adductor muscles in his hips, went for an MRI
that revealed the shoulder strain and bursitis.

“It was unfortunate because I thought today was his best start,”
said manager Joe Girardi, who wasn’t sure yet what the Yankees
would do about Wang’s next turn in the rotation. “He’ll need
some rest.”

Wang surrendered a two-run homer to Adam Lind with one out and
threw a pitch to Scott Rolen before catcher Jorge Posada
motioned to the dugout that something was wrong with the
right-hander. Girardi and assistant trainer Steve Donohue came
out to the mound, and Wang headed for the dugout after a short
discussion.

“Just the way he threw the ball,” Posada said. “It wasn’t like
he followed through all the way through, kind of pushed it
towards me.”

Wang also had shoulder problems in 2001 and 2005 but he said it
was less painful this time and only bothered him on the pitch to
Rolen.

“On the home run pitch it felt a little tight but not pain,” he
said.

The Yankees could turn to Phil Hughes or Alfredo Aceves if Wang
can’t make his next start, but neither is stretched out enough
to go deep into a game. Hughes worked a perfect eighth as New
York beat Toronto 6-5 in 12 innings Saturday.

Wang was awful at the beginning of the season but had looked
better of late, earning his first win of the season in his
previous outing and pitching at least five innings in each of
his last four starts.

Wang, who won 38 games from 2006-07, is 1-6 with a 9.64 ERA in
12 games, nine starts, this season.