Pavano has two broken ribs following car accident

Monday, August 28, 2006

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Associated Press

	Pavano

NEW YORK -- Yankees pitcher Carl Pavano has a pair of broken ribs, sustained in a mid-August car accident that the oft-injured right-hander didn't tell the team about until last weekend. Pavano, who hasn't played in the major leagues since June 27, 2005, due to shoulder, back, buttocks and elbow injuries, is scheduled for a medical checkup Tuesday and remains on track to make his final rehabilitation start Wednesday for Triple-A Columbus at Durham.

"Of course I'm angry. ... I've got an army of people here that we provide to put our players in the best position possible to succeed, and I don't want anybody to sabotage that by holding back. And clearly here, for a period of time that took place."

-- Brian Cashman

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman was unusually pointed in his remarks about Pavano, who signed a $39.95 million, four-year contract with the Yankees as a free agent before the 2005 season and went 4-6 with a 4.77 ERA in 17 major league starts before going on the disabled list. "I think it's obviously frustrating, disappointing. There's a lot of words which would come to mind," Cashman said. "Of course I'm angry. ... I've got an army of people here that we provide to put our players in the best position possible to succeed, and I don't want anybody to sabotage that by holding back. And clearly here, for a period of time that took place." New York had hoped Pavano possibly would be able to rejoin its rotation this week, filling the spot opened when Mike Mussina "I needed a doctor's opinion on what kind of treatment I needed," he said. "I figured the best thing to do was come clean with it and get the right treatment." went on the disabled list last week with a strained right groin. Pavano and Cashman both expressed hope that this latest injury wouldn't keep Pavano from rejoining the major league team when rosters expand this week. "I still want to pitch and get through this," said Pavano, who has been trying to come back from surgery on May 25 to remove a bone chip from his right elbow. Pavano said he was hurt early Aug. 15 in West Palm Beach, Fla., when on a rainy night his car hit a puddle, spun out of control and hit a truck that was at a stop sign. "There was no ambulance or anything. I was able to walk away from it," Pavano said. "I had my seat belt on. I think that's the area where maybe I got injured, is where the seat belt was." Pavano lives in West Palm Beach and had permission to go home, Cashman said. Pavano said his lack of performance with the Yankees led to his decision not to initially inform the team. "It's been pretty frustrating for not only the city, the team, my teammates, myself, management," he said. "It just seems like it's one thing after another. I'm not impervious to this because I make a lot of money and I play baseball." After the accident, Pavano pitched four shutout innings that night for Class A Tampa at Brevard County, the first of three rehab starts. "It just seems like there's a lot of distractions that are caused by me that go around with the team, and I figured that, at the time, it was something I could get through," he said. "I felt all right. I knew something was wrong, I didn't know the extent of it, but I figured that I'd pitch through it and it would get better. I just didn't seem to get better, and that's the only reason why I really went to the team." Pavano pitched six innings for Columbus last Friday and told the Yankees of the accident the following day. A scan then revealed the injury. Cashman rejected the notion that Pavano told the team then because he didn't want to pitch again at the major league level. He said Pavano threw a side session Monday. "We have had players play with this issue before," Cashman said.

This guy just needs to wrap himself in a bubble and not leave his bed.....he can't take two steps without hurting himself.
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