Hideki Matsui News: Pro Sports Daily

With interleague over, Hideki Matsui goes back to DH for Yankees

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June 29

New York Daily News

"Following 10 days spent largely as a spectator, Hideki Matsui will be back in the lineup Tuesday night when the Yankees return to their cozy little home in the Bronx. Nine consecutive games in National League ballparks reduced Matsui to a $13 million pinch-hitter, as the Yankees were uncomfortable using his surgically repaired knees in the outfield. "I approached it in the sense that I want to make the most of each at-bat I get in the games that I play and make sure that I have a good quality at-bat," Matsui said through an interpreter. "It wasn't like I was sitting on the bench the whole time. At least I got one at-bat almost every game. I don't think I'll be in too bad of shape." Joe ..."

What it means when Yankees slugger Hideki Matsui sits against pitchers he owns

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June 26

Newark Star-Ledger

"We know that Hideki Matsui's knees are bad. But at this point, they've got to be made of Jell-0. The proof is in the last two games. Against Wednesday's Braves starter Kenshin Kawakami, Matsui is a .319 hitter with seven homers and 16 RBI, with the matchups coming when they played together in Japan. Against Thursday's Braves starter Derek Lowe, Matsui is a .545 hitter with a homer. Yet, Matsui sat, relegated to pinch-hitting duties. So, here are the Yankees, who until the last 48 hours were mired in a team-wide offensive depression. And here's this accomplished hitter, who manager Joe Girardi knows can help. Yet, as manager Joe Girardi said later, the team's medical staff is concerned that ..."

At the plate, New York Yankees designated hitter Hideki Matsui embraces more balanced approach

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May 29

Trenton Times

"In 17 seasons as a pro, Hideki Matsui has long established that he can hit. Yet, through much of the last month, he's struggled at the plate. Frustrated, the slugger went searching for answers. "Hideki kind of lost his confidence and was kind of looking for things to lift him up," hitting coach Kevin Long said. Perhaps, he's found his answer. Matsui enters the Yankees' four-game series against the Indians hoping that his slump is over. In Texas, Matsui slugged two home runs and capped a 48-hour span in which he showed signs of life. In the final two games of the Yankees' three-game series victory against the Rangers, Matsui went 4-for-7 with four RBI. The difference, he said, has come ..."

Matsui Suffers Setback

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April 18

New York Post

"Joe Girardi admitted yesterday that Hideki Matsui's left knee may have taken a turn for the worse. Matsui, who has had surgery in the past year on both knees, did not start yesterday but pinch hit in the eighth inning. Girardi said Matsui's left knee was "bothering him," revealing there has been fluid in it. "Maybe he has taken a little step backwards," Girardi said. Still, Matsui, who downplayed any regression in the knee, said there was less fluid than yesterday and that he would be available to DH today. "During spring training, fluid has been coming and going and it's been a repetition of that," Matsui said. "I don't really look at it like a setback." In his pinch-hitting appearance, ..."

Yankees' Matsui still weak in knee

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April 18

New York Daily News

"Hideki Matsui has fluid in his left knee again - the same condition that led to offseason surgery - and Joe Girardi is concerned that the Yankees will struggle all season with how the veteran feels. Girardi, who called Matsui his biggest health concern throughout the spring, acknowledged Friday that Matsui "maybe has taken a little step backward" and also said the development was "somewhat discouraging, but I think it's something we're going to have to deal with because of where he is in his career with his knees." Girardi said he hoped he could possibly use Matsui, who struck out as a pinch-hitter Friday, as the DH Saturday. Matsui said through a translator that the "fluid has been ..."

Yanks' Matsui has sore knee, limited to pinch-hitting

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April 17

Newsday

"Hideki Matsui was not in the starting lineup for the third time in four games because of fluid in his left knee, a condition Joe Girardi described as "taking a step backward." The fluid was in Matsui's left knee, which he had surgery on after last season. The disabled list remains an option; Girardi added that if Matsui is not able to play Saturday "then we'll have to start talking about things." Matsui did not think a stint on the disabled list will help, saying that he hopes to control the fluid in his knee by treatment and building up its strength. But both of them admitted this will be an ongoing issue this season. "It's somewhat discouraging," Girardi said, "but it's something we're ..."

Matsui won't play field until at least June

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March 18

Newsday

"Hideki Matsui played in his fourth consecutive game Tuesday, becoming the first Yankee to do so this spring. By "playing," we actually mean "hitting," since Matsui was the designated hitter each time. On Tuesday, he hit a two-run double in his first at-bat and a two-run homer in his second. Then his workday was done. Coming off surgery on his left knee, and with a right knee that needs attention, too, Matsui has not played the outfield down here. He's not going to up there, either. Not in Baltimore on April 6, where the Yankees open the season, or likely anywhere else where the DH is an option for manager Joe Girardi, at least not for a few months. Girardi said Wednesday that he doesn't ..."

Yanks can't afford having Matsui as designated sitter

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March 17

New York Post

columnist Joel Sherman

"Hideki Matsui is still no sure thing to be ready for Opening Day, yet he is the Yankees' projected cleanup hitter. He is trying to get his knees in shape while probably on his last legs as a Yankee. He needs a starry season, but his future in pinstripes is probably as tied to Jorge Posada's 2009 as to his own. Matsui is a puzzle right now. He has morphed from an iron man who played every Yankees game from 2003-05 to a frequently hobbled player who appeared in 59 percent of the games over the past three seasons. How much Matsui can play and how much the Yankees need him to play are key to both how good the 2009 Yankees will be and where Matsui will be in 2010: 1) New York. 2) Another major ..."

Yankees Counting on Full Recovery by Aging Foursome

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March 12

New York Times

"Alex Rodriguez is not the only important Yankees veteran recovering from surgery. One of the other three is Mariano Rivera, who threw batting practice for the first time on Wednesday and said his right shoulder felt fine. "We're on the right track," Rivera said after 30 pitches on a diamond outside Steinbrenner Field in Tampa. "It's getting stronger every time I throw." Rivera said he hoped to pitch batting practice again Saturday and work in his first game soon after. He is recovering from an arthroscopic procedure to remove calcification from his shoulder. Rodriguez had surgery Monday to fix a torn labrum in his right hip, and Jorge Posada (right shoulder) and Hideki Matsui (left knee) ..."

Matsui Works His Way Back, With Little Fanfare

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February 25

New York Times

"Shadows crept onto Steinbrenner Field just before 4 p.m. Tuesday. Most of the Yankees had been gone for two hours, having finished the final practice before their exhibition opener. Yet there was Hideki Matsui standing near the pitcher's mound, tossing a ball as a photographer for a Japanese magazine clicked away. The publication covers celebrities, not sports, and Matsui remains a major news figure in his country, even without a World Series ring. Every player here who has been with the Yankees longer has four. "I do have some frustration that we haven't been able to win," Matsui said. "I think winning a world championship is what defines being a Yankee." Matsui spoke through his ..."

Yankees' Matsui will not play in WBC

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November 23

Newsday

"Hideki Matsui, so popular in Japan that his childhood house is now a museum, never infuriated his home country more than when he didn't play in the 2006 World Baseball Classic. With the 2009 WBC on the horizon -- it begins March 5 -- hope had risen in Japan that this time Matsui would join them. But that hope will not be realized. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Saturday that Matsui, who had surgery on his left knee at the end of the 2008 season, will skip the international tournament. "He will not be playing," Cashman wrote in an e-mail. "Will not be ready." The new manager of Team Japan, Tatsunori Hara -- he replaced legendary player and manager Sadaharu Oh -- was Matsui's ..."

Matsui Hopes To Stay In Pinstripes

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September 7

New York Post

"Hideki Matsui and the Yankees haven't ruled out him returning next year with knees healthy enough for him to play the outfield. "He could still play the outfield after the surgery," manager Joe Girardi said of the 34-year-old left fielder who has played 20 games in left and two in right this year, but hasn't been in the field since June 15. Matsui didn't play from June 16 to Aug. 19 thanks to an inflamed left knee. In the 16 games he has played since coming off the shelf, Matsui has been the designated hitter. While Girardi said Matsui will have surgery after the season, Matsui says he hasn't made a definitive date for the knife until he meets with the doctor. "If I were to do it, it ..."

New plan for Matsui

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August 20

Bergen Record

"Hideki Matsui said his sore left knee is less than 100 percent, but that "as long as it doesn't swell up again," he's hopeful of making it through the season. Out since June 22, Matsui returned to the lineup as the designated hitter, and "That's our plan - to play him every day," manager Joe Girardi said today. That has an impact on Johnny Damon, who again becomes the regular center fielder. When Matsui needs a break, Brett Gardner will play center and Damon will slip back to the DH role. Justin Christian was optioned to Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Considering that Matsui faced a dire diagnosis, his comeback "says something about his character," Girardi said. Surgery still looms as ..."

Return Of Godzilla

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August 19

New York Post

"The Yankees plan to get one of their most clutch players back tonight for their final 38-game push for a playoff spot. Hideki Matsui, called by general manager Brian Cashman "a professional RBI guy," is expected to be activated before the Yankees begin a six-game road trip, with the first of three games in Toronto tonight. Matsui, who last played June 22 because of left knee inflammation, was hitting .338 with runners in scoring position, the second-best mark (behind Johnny Damon's .345) on a team that has performed as efficiently as drunken sailors in the clutch this season. "I'm not saying we'll have this [tonight], but when he is healthy, we have a professional RBI guy in the ..."

Matsui Has Good Day Rehabbing

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July 29

New York Post

"Hideki Matsui, who restarted baseball activities yesterday for the first time since the All-Star break, said his inflamed left knee felt fine afterward. Matsui, who's trying to avoid knee surgery, reported that he took 20 swings off a tee and five swings of soft-toss. "As far as how I feel, so far no problems," he said. Matsui said if the knee continues to feel OK, he could begin rehab games in a week or two. "He's going to hit off a tee for a few days and see how it responds," GM Brian Cashman said, "and then if all goes well, then we'll take it up a notch." Matsui also is using a brace on the leg now. "I'm not sure, but I think it's helping," he said."

Matsui decides to try it again without surgery

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July 22

Newark Star-Ledger

"Hideki Matsui will make one more attempt to come back to the Yankees without having surgery on his left knee. "I still have a strong desire to come back this year and be a force for the team," Matsui said yesterday through interpreter Roger Kahlon after seeing orthopedic surgeon Scott Rodeo. So for now Matsui will rest the knee and eventually try to resume baseball activity. "I wouldn't say I'm optimistic, personally," general manager Brian Cashman said."

'Last Call' For Ailing Godzilla

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July 22

New York Post

"If Hideki Matsui's left knee fills with fluid again, GM Brian Cashman believes it will be impossible for the Yankee DH to avoid a second knee surgery. "If the knee swells up we are dealing with last call," Cashman said last night after Dr. Scott Rodeo recommended to Matsui that surgery was required. Cashman admires Matsui, who has the knee drained three times, wanting to give it another try even though the odds of Matsui playing again this year are long. Matsui will go through a rehab process - likely 10 days - and reassess where he is at. Surgery would end Matsui's season."

Matsui Hopeful But...

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July 19

New York Post

"Hideki Matsui is clinging to the hope his season will continue, but the situation hardly looks promising. The injured DH/left fielder had his swollen left knee examined by team physician Stuart Hershon yesterday and was told to curtail baseball activities for the weekend. Matsui, who has been on the disabled list for nearly a month, will be reevaluated on Monday by Dr. Scott Rodeo, who performed arthroscopic surgery on Matsui's right knee last November. Season-ending surgery on the left knee, Matsui said, remains a possibility."

Surgery May KO Matsui's Season

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July 16

New York Post

"Matsui, the clutch-hitting DH, experienced swelling in his left knee yesterday when he didn't take batting practice and will leave Tampa to be examined by team physician Stuart Hershon Friday in New York. Though Cashman didn't definitely say Matsui, who has had the knee drained twice and was taking batting practice at the minor league facility, was headed for surgery, a season-ending procedure looks inevitable... Asked if losing Matsui, who hasn't played since June 22, for the remainder of the season would lead him to signing Bonds, the all-time home run champ who is a free agent, Cashman chose his words carefully. "I would say any rampant speculation on us involving a player of that ..."

Hideki Matsui's setback forces Yankees to consider Barry Bonds

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July 16

New York Daily News

"Will Hideki Matsui's bum knee cause the Yankees to hit the Bonds market? Should Matsui require surgery and be lost for the year - a realistic possibility after he suffered a setback Tuesday - the Yankees would almost certainly need to bring in another bat for the DH spot. Richie Sexson remains available as a free agent, and although the big first baseman was having a terrible year before being released by the Mariners, general manager Brian Cashman wouldn't say whether the Yankees were interested. Barry Bonds is also a free agent, although his agent, Jeff Borris, said Monday that "prospects look bleak" for the all-time home run king to land with a big-league team this season. ..."

Hideki Matsui out from Yankees' lineup until after All-Star break

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July 4

New York Daily News

"Hideki Matsui may miss the rest of the first half with his swollen left knee, but is holding out hope that he has some baseball left in him this season. The Yankees had hoped that Matsui would take batting practice this weekend, but team trainers didn't clear him for that after he experienced some soreness following a couple of days of physical therapy. "He's not ready to go," manager Joe Girardi said. "We'll try to get him out there as soon as we can." That won't be until next week at the earliest, making it doubtful he will play in any of the Yankees' final six games before the All-Star break."

Swelling in Knee Keeps Matsui Away From Drills

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July 4

New York Times

"The Yankees had hoped that Hideki Matsui would be able to take batting practice this weekend, but his troublesome left knee did not cooperate. Surgery is possible, and Matsui said an operation would likely end his season. “I would assume if I had the surgery, at this point, it would probably take as long as it did for my right knee to recover,” Matsui said Thursday through an interpreter. “So in that sense, if I were to have surgery right now, the season would be over.”"

Matsui May Take BP Soon

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July 1

New York Post

"A few days ago, there was talk of surgery for Hideki Matsui and his ailing left knee. Last night, the outlook seemed infinitely better, as the talk was of him taking batting practice soon. "He came in today and he looked great. Keeping him off it really helped," said manager Joe Girardi. "[Trainer] Gene Monahan came up to me and said he looks tremendous and we talked about him taking BP in a couple of days. So I think the actual rest where he wasn't traveling to the ballpark and taking BP and trying to test it I think really helped calm it down.""

With Matsui Out, Girardi Plans DH Shuffle

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June 30

New York Post

"With Hideki Matsui placed on the disabled list Friday because of a barking left knee that eventually will require surgery and the Yankees done playing in NL parks without the designated hitter, manager Joe Girardi needs to find a DH replacement for Matsui. "We'll move it around. We'll look at matchups," said Girardi, who used Matsui, a .323 hitter overall and a .338 hitter with runners in scoring position as the DH in 43 games this year. "We'll do Jorge (Posada) some days and maybe we'll DH (Jason) Giambi some days, you can DH Johnny (Damon) a couple of days." Whether it's as the DH, first baseman, third baseman or second baseman, the switch-hitting Wilson Betemit should expect ..."

Matsui May Require a Knee Operation

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June 29

New York Times

"Hideki Matsui was the ironman of Japanese baseball, playing 1,250 consecutive games despite a chronic arthritic condition in his left knee. Now that he is 34, the knee is worse, and the Yankees acknowledged Saturday that it might need surgery. Matsui, who is hitting .323, is on the disabled list and had the knee drained Friday for the second time this month. He cannot play in the field and feels pain when he puts weight on it, making an operation a possibility."

Hideki Matsui hits DL

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June 28

New York Daily News

"The Yankees needed to create roster space for Sidney Ponson to be activated to pitch Friday night's second game. And putting Hideki Matsui on the disabled list was a move they were unable to avoid. Matsui's sore left knee had kept him out of three straight games, and they placed him on the DL for the third time in as many seasons before the nightcap of the two-stadium doubleheader. "He hit and felt better hitting, but the running is still an issue so we're going to DL him," Joe Girardi said after the Bombers' 15-6 loss in the Bronx opener."

Knee lands Matsui on DL

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June 28

Newark Star-Ledger

"When Hideki Matsui wasn't in the lineup for the first game of yesterday's doubleheader, it didn't bode well for his prospects of staying off the disabled list. And sure enough, once the Yankees' 15-6 loss was in the books, manager Joe Girardi announced that Matsui's sore left knee was serious enough to put him on the DL."

Bum Knee May Land Matsui On DL

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June 27

New York Post

"One way to get Sidney Ponson on the roster today is to put Hideki Matsui on the disabled list. "It's always a possibility," Girardi said of shelving Matsui, who is hobbled by a bothersome left knee and will be examined by a doctor today. "You don't want it to come to that, but if it's in the best interest of the club, we will talk about it." Matsui said the knee is improving daily and feels that he could DH today in the first game against the Mets at the Stadium. And he said he isn't that far away from returning to the outfield. He hasn't played there since June 15."

Hideki Matsui can play Saturday against Reds after resting knee

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June 20

New York Daily News

"Hideki Matsui should be back in the lineup tonight against the Reds, having missed the past two games after getting fluid drained from his swollen left knee on Wednesday. Joe Girardi said Matsui was available to pinch-hit in both games, but the manager decided to play it safe. Matsui said he first injured the knee about 10years ago while he was playing in Japan, suffering some torn cartilage. He has had fluid drained from the knee at times to allow him to play, but he said the injury typically doesn't bother him unless his body is tired."

Hideki Matsui sits after getting fluid drained from knee

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June 19

New York Daily News

"Hideki Matsui was hampered by lingering pain in his right knee throughout the second half of last season, a situation that required surgery over the winter. After starting two games in the outfield over the weekend in Houston, Matsui sat out Wednesday night's 8-5 victory over San Diego with soreness in his left knee. Matsui was examined by team doctor Stuart Hershon before the game, and after having fluid drained from his knee, said he doesn't expect the injury will land him on the disabled list."

Hideki Just Grand

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June 13

New York Post

"Hideki Matsui had a present for the Yankees on his 34th birthday last night that may or may not have legs. With Andy Pettitte pitching very well, Matsui turned a sixth-inning one-run deficit into a three-run lead with a grand slam off Joe Blanton that lifted Pettitte and the Yankees to a much-needed 4-1 victory over the A's at McAfee Coliseum that was witnessed by 28,658."

Godzilla Looks Like Bat-Man

June 1

New York Post

"Can Hideki Matsui win his first batting title in America? That remains to be seen. However, hitting in a lineup that houses Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Johnny Damon and Bobby Abreu, Matsui has been the Yankees' MVP across the first two months of the season. When he arrived in spring training Matsui couldn't run without a noticeable limp after having his right knee operated on during the off-season. He was held out of the early exhibition games and some wondered what the left-handed hitter was going to provide. And if Jason Giambi couldn't adequately play first base, then he would have to split time with Matsui in the designated hitter spot. Eight weeks into the season, Giambi is OK ..."

Matsui's Roller Greatest Of E's

May 26

New York Post

"There was a leadoff walk and a pair of doubles that looked like they were shot out of a cannon. But the key at-bat in the Yanks' decisive eighth inning during their 6-5 come-from behind win yesterday produced a roller that traveled about 55 feet. Hideki Matsui was sent up to pinch hit for Shelley Duncan against the Mariners' All-Star closer J.J. Putz, who had walked Alex Rodriguez to set up a first and second situation but fanned Jason Giambi. So Matsui sent a little roller to the right of the mound. Putz pounced, dove and gloved the ball. Then came the stuff of blooper videos."

Matsui's HR Bails Out Bombers

April 7

New York Post

"The Yankees' high-powered offense hasn't looked so high-powered during their first six games of the season, and yesterday, one swing from Hideki Matsui was enough to get past the Rays."

Hideki Matsui's 3-for-4 day sparks Yankee offense against James Shields

April 7

New York Daily News

"Hideki Matsui quickly has developed that sort of one-sided relationship with Tampa starter James Shields, and Sunday it resulted in a two-run homer in the fourth inning to provide all of the runs for the low-scoring Yankees in a 2-0 win over the Rays at the Stadium."

Matsui Hitless In Debut

March 10

New York Post

"The boxscore shows Hideki Matsui went hitless in his first three at-bats since last October. However, the numbers don't tell the entire story of Matsui's spring training debut yesterday at Hammond Stadium."

Hideki Matsui has spring fever after first game action

March 10

New York Daily News

"Hideki Matsui may have gone 0-for-3 in his first game of the spring Sunday, but the fact that he was on the field was good enough for the Yankees. After missing the first week of games, Matsui made his return to the lineup against the Twins, taking three at-bats as the designated hitter."

Matsui Is Ready To Play

March 9

New York Post

"Hideki Matsui finally will get into a game today. Matsui, who is coming back from right knee surgery performed last November, missed two days of workouts this past week due to a cranky neck but was cleared to be the designated hitter today in Fort Myers, Fla., against the Twins."

Matsui Could Sit For 10 More Days

March 5

New York Post

"Hideki Matsui and the Yankees insist a stiff neck and a surgically repaired right knee aren't going to hold Matsui back from being ready for Opening Day. However, Matsui hasn't played in a game yet and yesterday said it could be 10 days before he sees the field."

Yankees to play it safe with Matsui

February 14

The Journal News

"Hideki Matsui checked in at Legends Field yesterday and will work out with his teammates today. But his surgically repaired right knee will lead to cautious use in spring training. Matsui has been cleared physically but will be held out of some drills and may not be in the lineup for the first few exhibition games."

'Routine' Check For Matsui

February 12

New York Post

"Hideki Matsui stopped by the Hospital For Special Surgery yesterday in Manhattan to have a surgically repaired right knee examined by Dr. Scott Rodeo, who performed the operation in November."

Matsui May 'Waive' Bye

December 11

New York Post

"The Yankees haven't asked Hideki Matsui to waive his no-trade clause and accept a deal to San Francisco, but there were strong indications last night he wouldn't stand in the way of a deal if presented to him."

Matsui won't commit to staying

December 9

New York Daily News

"Hideki Matsui made his first public comments Saturday since the Yankees and Giants began trade talks involving the outfielder, and what Matsui didn't say might have been as revealing as what he did say."

Matsui not asked to waive clause

December 9

Newark Star-Ledger

"Hideki Matsui, the subject of trade talks between the Yankees and San Francisco Giants, told Japanese newpaper Sankei Sports he has not been approached about waiving his no-trade clause..."

Yanks might trade Matsui just to end LF logjam

December 8

Newark Star-Ledger

"In current discussions about Hideki Matsui, the Yankees would get a prospect and another player from the San Francisco Giants for their left fielder."

Yankees aren't denying Giants' interest in Matsui

December 7

Newark Star-Ledger

"Hideki Matsui is reported to be of interest to the San Francisco Giants, and the Yankees aren't shooting it down."

Yankees might be shopping Matsui

December 7

Newsday

"Brian Cashman left the winter meetings 'not optimistic' about ongoing trade talks. He had, however, delved into new possibilities, namely one involving Hideki Matsui and the Giants. Cashman would not acknowledge any names, including Matsui's. But when asked about such trade talks, Giants general manager Brian Sabean said: 'We're having general conversations.'"

Giant interest in Matsui

December 7

Bergen Record

"The San Francisco Giants have expressed interest in Yankees outfielder Hideki Matsui, according to the Japanese daily 'Sankei Sports.'"

Knee surgery has Hideki Matsui on mend

November 15

New York Daily News

"Hideki Matsui underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee yesterday morning, taking care of an injury that hampered him for much of last season."

Matsui’s Right Knee Needs Some ‘Cleanup’

November 2

New York Post

"The Yankees are batting .500 on avoiding offseason knee surgery on two key players. Derek Jeter's right knee won't be invaded by the knife, but Hideki Matsui's will require arthroscopic work."