Curtis Granderson Injury: Updates on Yankees Star's Forearm

New York Yankees outfielder Curtis Granderson started off spring training on the worst possible note. 

According to Wallace Matthews of ESPN, Granderson was hit by a J.A. Happ pitch in the first inning of New York’s matchup with the Toronto Blue Jays, forcing him to leave the game.

UPDATE: Tuesday, May 14 at 3:25 p.m. ET by Sam Westmoreland

Granderson is officially off the DL and will play tonight, according to the Yankees' official Twitter feed. The left-handed slugger will bat fourth in the lineup and play left field in his first start since injuring his forearm in preseason, according to YES Network's Meredith Marakovits. 

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UPDATE: Sunday, May 12, at 11:20 a.m. ET by Brandon Galvin

Curtis Granderson continues to make progress on his rehab. NBC's Drew Silva has the latest on Granderson, including his prediction for when the star outfielder could return to the Yankees lineup:

"

If everything continues to go smoothly, Curtis Granderson could be back in a Yankees uniform for Tuesday night’s series-opener against the Mariners.

The veteran outfielder went 2-for-4 with an RBI on Saturday night at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. It was his third minor league rehab game and he came out of it feeling fine. Granderson is now 4-for-12 (.333) with a home run and three RBI since being cleared last week for live minor league action.

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UPDATE: Wednesday, May 8, at 6:10 p.m. ET by Ian Hanford

According to The Scranton Times Tribune reporter Donnie Collins, the "Yankees' All-Star center fielder will open a major league rehab assignment with the RailRiders Thursday against Indianapolis."

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UPDATE: Sunday, Feb. 24, at 3:20 p.m. ET by Justin Onslow

According to the Yankees' Twitter account, Granderson is staying positive after fracturing his right forearm in Sunday's spring training game against the Toronto Blue Jays:

As previously reported, the 31-year-old outfielder was hit by a pitch and is expected to miss 10 weeks.

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UPDATE: Sunday, Feb. 24, at 3:05 p.m. ET by Justin Onslow

Precautionary X-rays on Granderson's injured forearm didn't return with the results the Yankees would have hoped for. According to New York's PR Twitter account, X-rays showed a fracture:

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While Matthews’ description was of a right hand injury, the Yankees’ PR Twitter account describes the injury as a right forearm bruise:

“Precautionary” X-rays are usually a good indication that a player hasn’t sustained a serious injury, and losing Granderson to injury for any period of time would be a difficult blow for the Yankees, especially before the regular season even begins.

Granderson has led New York in home runs the last two seasons, blasting 43 during his 2012 campaign. He also drove in 106 runs, though his .232 batting average came in 30 points below his career .262 average.

The Yankees will be trying Granderson in left field during spring training, moving 29-year-old Brett Gardner to center field in the process. Granderson was a terrific defender in Detroit, but he failed to meet expectations in center field last season, and the speedier Gardner will likely be a better fit patrolling that position this season (per ESPN).

Granderson has been a key contributor for the Yankees since acquiring him from Detroit via trade, and losing him for any period of time would leave them without one of their best left-handed bats. If the injury proves to be as minor as indicated, he’ll be in position to build on his impressive numbers in New York as a crucial piece of the Yankees offense in 2013.