Nady Out For Season; 2010 in Question

Yankees outfielder Xavier Nady has been on the shelf since April 14. He was recently playing in Triple-A on a minor league rehab assignment when he suffered a huge setback and had to pull himself from the game. It appears the injury was devastating. He'll be forced to undergo Tommy John surgery, which normally takes at least one calendar year to heal; sometimes more. This means Nady likely won't be ready until about July of 2010.

The Yankees have been using Nick Swisher in right field most of the time with Nady out, so they'll likely continue to do so. They haven't exactly struggled offensively without him, as evidenced by the comments made by manager Joe Girardi.

"I am more disappointed for him than I am the club. You would love to have him back. He has put a lot of time into this. I know how bad he wants to play."

Nady is a career .280 hitter who has shown occasional flashes of good power. In 2008, he hit 25 home runs and 97 RBI with the Pirates and Yankees. He's 30 years old, so there will be time to salvage his career, starting hopefully with a healthy 2011.