Kevin Youlikis Career Tracker

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/photo?slug=0c728e208c084826b9c9386df202e715.youkilis_goatee_baseball_magc103&prov=ap

He shaved his goatee. Well it was for charity, but he looks soo weird.

Youkilis will miss rest of Classic
First baseman headed to Red Sox camp after injuring left ankle

MIAMI -- Another star player from Team USA is dealing with an ailment, and the mounting injuries are creating roster headaches.

Kevin Youkilis, who had a homer and two RBIs in a walk-off win over Puerto Rico on Tuesday night, will miss the rest of the World Baseball Classic because of a sore left ankle.

The Red Sox released the following statement on Wednesday during Team USA's game vs. Venezuela:

"Kevin Youkilis returned to Fort Myers, Fla., this afternoon to be examined by the Red Sox medical staff. He was diagnosed with a mild left ankle sprain as well as mild Achilles tendinitis in his left foot. Both MRI results were negative. To limit movement and allow his ankle to heal, Youkilis will wear a walking boot for the next several days, but is not expected to miss significant time.

"Youkilis originally experienced some pain in his left ankle several days ago and it worsened in last night's game vs. Team Puerto Rico. He will no longer participate in the World Baseball Classic and will return to Red Sox camp tomorrow."

A vocal and inspirational leader on Team USA, Youkilis has been hobbled by the ankle a few days. According to United States manager Davey Johnson, the first baseman labored getting to the postgame interview room after the emotional victory.

"There's a good possibility that Youkilis may be off the roster," Johnson told reporters before Wednesday's game. "He played with kind of a sprained ankle the other night. I have a bad feeling."

Team USA qualified for the semifinals with its win over Puerto Rico. It is playing Venezuela on Wednesday night in a game that will decide seeding when the games head to Dodger Stadium.

In Youkilis' stead, Adam Dunn of the Nationals was in the lineup at first on Wednesday.

Team USA has some roster problems now, and it was thought that the Nationals didn't want Dunn to play first base since he's been playing right field in the tournament.

But word out of Nationals camp is that the team has no problem with Dunn playing first.

Because of the emergency situations, Dunn is playing a position at which he's appeared in just 127 games during his Major League career.

Another option is Mark DeRosa, who has played third base, second base and outfield in the Classic.

DeRosa has played first, but the Cleveland Indians have expressed to Team USA that they want him playing on the left side of the infield as much as possible.

After Wednesday, Team USA will be able to revise its roster. However, it can only replace a player with someone on its provisional roster. The only first baseman left is Derrek Lee. But the Cubs first baseman has been hampered by a sore right quad, and it is highly doubtful he will be available.

Youkilis appeared in six games in the Classic, and he has three homers and six RBIs. He is the second player on the Red Sox to leave Team USA in Miami because of an injury. On Saturday, second baseman Dustin Pedroia was placed on the injured list with a strained left oblique.

Also this week, Chipper Jones (right strained oblique) and reliever Matt Lindstrom (right rotator cuff strain) suffered injuries.

Pedroia was replaced at second base by Brian Roberts.

Team USA can fill in for Jones, Youkilis and Lindstrom.

Rays third baseman Evan Longoria is on the provisional roster, but finding first-base help is a higher priority.

Ryan Braun has been dealing with a right rib issue, but the Brewers outfielder still may play in Los Angeles.

USA Baseball executive director Paul Seiler noted that because Team USA will appear in two games in Los Angeles that it is less likely it will add a pitcher.

Seiler added that Team USA is in constant contact with clubs over the health status of their players.

"We have those conversation every day," Seiler said. "Just because he's with us, [it] doesn't give us carte blanche to do what we want with them."

That sucks. Youlikis was doing great in the WBC!

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

That sucks. Youlikis was doing great in the WBC!

He was


That is why I don't like the WBC

Too many guys getting hurt early

And people are upset because Granderson has been riding the pine


Better than getting hurt

Tigers need a healthy Granderson in 2009

Red Sox lose Youkilis for rest of season
Star first baseman to have surgery to repair injured thumb

By Ian Browne / MLB.com

08/05/10 7:26 PM ET

BOSTON -- Kevin Youkilis went to Cleveland for a second opinion, but it only confirmed what the Red Sox had feared was inevitable. The invaluable first baseman won't play another baseball game until Spring Training of 2011.

Youkilis will undergo surgery to repair a torn abductor muscle in his right thumb at the Cleveland Clinic on Friday.

"I think Youk was pretty [resigned] to the fact that this was probably what was going to happen," said Red Sox manager Terry Francona. "I think I knew. We had talked the last couple of days. We pretty much had an idea this was a pretty good possibility. As much as we love having Youk on the field, I would have a much harder time sending him out there knowing that he might really hurt himself. That's no good."

In a season in which the Red Sox have had a near unfathomable amount of major injuries to key players, this one might top the list simply because of the season-ending nature of it.

In recent weeks, Boston has gotten Victor Martinez, Josh Beckett and Jacoby Ellsbury back in the lineup, and Dustin Pedroia should return in the not too distant future. But Youkilis was left with no choice but to have surgery.

"He needs to have it repaired," said general manager Theo Epstein. "He wouldn't be able to play at a high level without surgery. I guess the silver lining is it's a fairly straightforward procedure. They're very confident it will go well and he'll be able to have a pretty normal offseason and be 100 percent for Spring Training. The bad news is we lose a big part of our heart and soul and one of the best hitters and best players in the league. That's not the type of guy you can replace, so it's a blow."

Youkilis sustained the injury while taking a swing in Monday night's game against Cleveland. Initially, the hope was that it was just a jammed thumb. But follow-up tests revealed the tear of the abductor muscle, an injury that is extremely rare for a baseball player.

"This was [Red Sox medical director] Tom Gill's initial diagnosis as well," said Epstein. "But it wasn't certain. There was still a little bit of gray area. The reason we sent him to see a couple of specialists was to get a more definite image. Today, with the MRI, they were able to get one that confirmed beyond any doubt that the head of the adductor muscle was indeed torn. That creates a certain plan of attack."

The surgery will be performed by Dr. Thomas Graham, who conducted Thursday's second opinion.

The Red Sox are fortunate to have an established veteran to replace Youkilis at first base in Mike Lowell, who had been seldom-used up to this point in the season. Epstein will work the phones in search of a left-handed bat who could complement Lowell, but doesn't expect to be able to make an acquisition of high impact.

Boston entered Thursday night's game trailing the Yankees by 6 1/2 games in the American League East and the Rays by six in the AL Wild Card standings. The Sox will try to fight their way back into contention without a key piece, knowing that it won't be easy.

"It's a major hit," said slugger David Ortiz. "Things just got worse around here, huh? It's crazy. That's a major hit. A major hit."

Still, Ortiz emphasized the need for the Red Sox -- who are armed with a terrific starting rotation and some highly-skilled hitters -- to keep fighting.

"We've got to battle back," Ortiz said. "We've got to keep on fighting. It's not over yet. You know what I'm saying? You can't hang it up. Of course, you want to have Youk in the lineup doing his thing, helping us out the way he normally does. But if you can't, you've got to try to compete and whatever happens, happens. You know what I'm saying? Definitely, we're going to try to fight back and put ourselves in a situation where we can be playing ball in October."

Youkilis' thumb will be immobilized for six weeks. He will be back at full strength in 2011.

"Yes, that's the big reason they're doing it now," Francona said. "If he tried to play and did something to further injure that, then you're running the risk that it doesn't come back the way you want it to. We don't need that."

Youkilis plans on staying with the team for the remainder of the season. In fact, he will join them on the upcoming road trip if the doctors give him clearance to do so.

"He's one of the best players we have," Ortiz said. "No question about it. Not having his defense, his bat, his enthusiasm, it's crazy. It's not what you want to see, but you've got to what you've got to do. You've got to take care of that because this ain't the last year of this ballclub. He's got to come back healthy next year and continue doing his thing. He's a master piece here of this ballclub and everybody knows that."

Youkilis, who hurt the thumb while getting jammed on Monday, was batting .307 with 19 homers, 62 RBIs and .411 on-base percentage.

Ian Browne is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.