Before this season, Mark Teixeira undertook a diet free of gluten, sugar and dairy to help prevent inflammation, which he felt aggravated his back and wrist injuries.
For the first four and a half months, Teixeira was a rejuvenated player, pounding 31 home runs. But despite all of the preventive measures, he was placed on the 15-day disabled list Friday, because of an unlucky happenstance of physics.
“This was a foul ball off my leg; this could happen to a 21-year-old just as easy to me,” Teixeira said as he stood next to a pair of crutches leaning against his locker.