The bad news surrounding Mark Teixeira's injury could force the Yankees to intensify their pursuit of several veteran free agents.
Mark Teixeira's wrist injury is worse than initially thought.
It started with Derek Jeter.
Jeter, the Yankees all-everything, All-star, shortstop. The man who has been a consistent presence in the lineup and on the field for the duration of the franchise's current run of success, broke his ankle in Game 1 of the 2012 ALCS.
The injury ended Jeter's season, and it likely sealed the fate of his team.
It may have been a major factor in ending the 2012 season, but it was also a starting point for other major injuries.
Since Jeter's broken ankle, the Yankees have dealt with Alex Rodriguez's second major hip surgery, a procedure that will keep him out of the lineup until at least the All-star break.
Curtis Granderson suffered a broken forearm when he was hit by a pitch in his first at-bat of spring training.
Then there's Mark Teixeira.
Teixeira suffered what was originally diagnosed as a wrist strain a few weeks ago. That was bad enough. It was expected to keep him sidelined until at least May.
Sunday the news got worse.
Wallace Mathews of ESPN New York reported that the wrist strain was not actually a strain, it was a partially torn tendon.
The recovery options for Teixeira appear to be either bad, or really bad.
He could easily miss all of May, or he could end up needing season-ending wrist surgery.
As for the Yankees? They have an Abbott and Costello routine taking place in their lineup.
The team has a variety of options at first base, and none of them are that appealing.
The team could move former Red Sox corner infielder Kevin Youkilis -- who was originally signed to fill-in for Rodriguez at third base -- to first.
Youkilis is the best option as far as experience goes. He won the Gold Glove in 2007 while playing first.
Youkilis is no safe bet to stay healthy all season, but playing first rather than third might insulate him from some injuries.
Even if the Yankees do that, it is a little like sticking your finger into a hole in a dam. You plug one, and another hole opens up.
One of the few positives to emerge this spring has been 28-year-old Cuban defector Ronnier Mustelier. He's been primarily used as an outfielder while in the Yankees minor league system, but he's got some experience at third base, and Yankee manager Joe Girardi has been giving him more opportunities at third recently.
Of course the one problem with Mustelier is an injury. He was hurt this past Friday when he ran into a railing while chasing a foul ball.
The rest of the cast won't excite many Yankees fans.
Juan Rivera and Dan Johnson are the most likely options. Johnson has never been able to hit the ball consistently, and Rivera has spent his entire career battling injuries.
Add it all up and the Yankees might have to count on someone without a successful major league resume having a breakout season.
The severity of Teixeira's injury means the team will have to rely on that player for even longer than initially thought.
The Yankees could always turn to someone with a very long major league resume.
New York has made overtures to veterans such as Aubrey Huff, Derek Lee and Chipper Jones. So far those offers have been rebuffed.
Expect the most recent bad news about Teixeira to force the Yankees to intensify their pursuit of the aforementioned veterans. This team is banged up, and while the length of the baseball season can be forgiving to teams that start slowly, a team such as the Yankees can't afford to field a lineup filled with unproven major leaguers for too long.