TORONTO (AP)—Raul Mondesi might not play for a while and it doesn’t have anything to do with his recent struggles.
The New York Yankees’ outfielder injured his left wrist in his return to the starting lineup Friday night, a day after complaining about playing time. He was hurt swinging in his last at-bat in the Yankees’ 8-5 victory over Toronto.
“He felt something click in there,” manager Joe Torre said.
Mondesi said he thought the injury was serious, and a bone appeared to be jutting out from his wrist.
After learning he wouldn’t start Thursday, Mondesi protested that he couldn’t get out of his slump if he wasn’t playing. Mondesi, who entered the game in a 2-for-29 slump, went 1-for-4 with a walk and an RBI. His walk with the bases loaded in the seventh scored the go-ahead run.
“He was pretty selective when he walked. He’s been just wailing away,” Torre said. “There were some closes pitches that he took. That’s a good sign for me. Hopefully, he’s all right.”
Andy Pettitte (11-6) won his sixth straight start and Jason Giambi hit his 24th homer run for the Yankees.
Yankees reliever Dan Miceli left the game in the eighth after being hit on his right leg. Mariano Rivera took over and got the last six outs for his 16th save. Rivera twisted his right ankle when he fielded a grounder at the end of the eighth.
“I’m fine,” said Rivera, who thought he’d be available Saturday.
He didn’t mind pitching two innings.
“That’s my job,” he said. “You got to do what you got to do.”
Catcher Jorge Posada said Rivera wasn’t throwing as hard in the ninth because he wasn’t pushing off as much.
Torre didn’t seem too worried about Rivera.
“If it was anything beyond a little sprain Mariano wouldn’t have been able to go out and do what he did in the ninth,” Torre said.
Enrique Wilson followed Mondesi’s walk in the seventh with an RBI single, and Giambi’s homer off Scott Service in the eighth gave New York an 8-5 lead.
The Yankees remained two games ahead of Boston in the AL East. The Blue Jays have lost four in a row and 11 of 13, including the first four of 12 straight games against the Red Sox and Yankees. Toronto is nine games behind New York and seven behind Boston.
Pettitte allowed five runs on nine hits, while striking our five and walking three in seven innings.
“He struggled,” Torre said.
Shannon Stewart and Chris Woodward homered for the Blue Jays.
Trever Miller (1-1) took the loss in relief.
Notes
Giambi, the first baseman, robbed Tom Wilson of a hit with a leapinggrab of a liner in the seventh. … Delgado leads the majors with 95 RBIs.
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