TAMPA, Fla. - Once a surgeon repaired the torn extensor carpi ulnaris retinaculum in Mark Teixeira's right wrist, the Yankees first baseman was optimistic. Doctors told Teixeira he would rest for four or five months and be 100 percent healed at six months - the same timetable offered for Phillies outfielder Aaron Altherr, who underwent the surgery last week.
"Hah," Teixeira said Sunday morning from his locker at George M. Steinbrenner Field. "No chance. No chance."
The 35-year-old slugger recalled the times after his July 1, 2013, surgery as some of the worst, a warning of what possibly lies ahead for Altherr, a young player the Phillies planned to learn more about in 2016.