Yankees rookie injured in debut
Fowler ruptures patellar tendon in first inning.
Dustin Fowler’s major league debut was over before he even stepped into the batter’s box, and New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi had harsh words for Guaranteed Rate Field, home of the Chicago White Sox.
Fowler, 22, ruptured the patellar tendon in his right knee during the first inning of the Yankees’ 4-3 loss Thursday night, slamming into the short sidewall near the corner trying to catch Jose Abreu’s one-out foul ball. Fowler had surgery Friday.
Girardi said the injury was avoidable.
“There’s an electrical box,” Girardi said. “And to me, that’s a problem. And I’m not blaming the White Sox, but it’s something that needs to be inspected. It should have been padded or not put there or put lower because if the kid doesn’t hit the electrical box, he might still be hurt, but my guess is he doesn’t rupture his patellar tendon.”
Fowler was on a full run and wasn’t able to catch up with the ball, which bounced in foul territory. The outfielder tumbled into the first row of seats, then tried to stand up on the field. Fowler hopped but his right leg buckled twice before he sat down on the warning track and waited for help. He was driven off in a cart, and Girardi said Fowler will miss the rest of the season.
Cardinals: General manager John Mozeliak was promoted to president of baseball operations and Michael Girsch to GM. Both received contracts through 2020. Mozeliak has served as the team’s GM since October 2007. Girsch spent the past 6½ years as the assistant GM.
White Sox: Right-hander Jake Petricka was placed on the 10-day DL with a right elbow strain.
Phillies: Left fielder and second baseman Howie Kendrick (left hamstring) was placed on the 10-day DL. Outfielder Nick Williams was promoted from Triple-A.
Angels: Closer Bud Norris (knee) pitched a rehab inning in the minors Thursday. The right-hander could be activated this weekend.
Indians: Corey Kluber struck out 12 Thursday to tie a franchise record held by Hall of Famer Bob Feller with four consecutive games with double-digit strikeouts. Feller struck out 10 or more in his last three starts in 1938 and his first start in 1939.
Dodgers: Joc Pederson’s sixth-inning homer Thursday gave the Dodgers 50 homers in June, breaking the 135-year-old franchise’s record for homers in a calendar month, set in 1953.
Reds: Cincinnati entered Friday night’s game against the Cubs having allowed homers in 22 straight games, four shy of the MLB record.
Brewers: Outfielder Ryan Braun’s 24th career homer at Cincinnati’s Great American Ball Park on Thursday moved him one ahead of Lance Berkman for most by a visiting player. Braun has 39 homers overall against the Reds since his rookie season of 2007, the most by any player against Cincinnati over that span.
Rangers: Former Indian Mike Napoli received his AL championship ring and was cheered in every at-bat, but his return to Cleveland didn’t go well at the plate. The DH was 1 for 10 with seven strikeouts in the four-game series.