Mussina heads to DL

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SEATTLE -- The Yankees placed Mike Mussina on the 15-day disabled list with a groin injury on Wednesday, recalling right-hander Brian Bruney from Triple-A Columbus to bolster the bullpen.
Mussina left Sunday night's game against the Red Sox after four innings with tightness in his right groin, the second time this season he has been forced to leave a game because of a groin problem. He also left his June 30 start against the Mets with the same injury, though he made his next scheduled start five days later.
The Yankees planned to skip Mussina for one turn through the rotation, putting him on track to pitch next Saturday against Minnesota. By being placed on the DL, Mussina won't be eligible to return until Tuesday, Sept. 5, when the Yankees play in Kansas City.
"Simply put, we probably needed a little pitching help; guys were being used up pretty badly, and in the end, it's only three days difference for me," Mussina said. "Why not take the extra time, get some help up here right now and make sure this doesn't come back to haunt us in the middle of next month, when we can't afford it."
Mussina and manager Joe Torre spoke about their options during a sit-down at a local Starbucks on Wednesday morning, coming to the decision to place the right-hander on the DL.
"We talked about it; the fact that we were going to slot him in at the end of the rotation after the off-day, it was only three days' difference," Torre said. "This is probably the safest thing, plus it gives us a pitcher we need right now."
"I think we would have reevaluated it if the standings were different," Mussina said, referring to the Yankees' lead over the Red Sox. "We're up 6 1/2 games, so I'm sure that had some bearing on what he was thinking."
Bruney appeared in two games for New York last week, throwing a scoreless inning against the Orioles on Thursday and 1 2/3 scoreless frames in the second game of Friday's doubleheader against the Red Sox.
Jeff Karstens, who made his big-league debut on Tuesday night in Seattle, will get another start on Sunday in Anaheim. He will likely remain in the rotation until Mussina returns to action.
Mussina played catch and did some light jogging on Tuesday, and he may try throwing off a mound this weekend in Anaheim.
"He felt pretty good throwing yesterday," Torre said. "Groins are tough to figure out. This is probably the injury that repeats itself when guys come off the DL more than any other."
"I'm not changing anything," Mussina said of his rehab schedule. "I'll go out and play catch, do what I would have done anyway."
The Yankees also announced that Sidney Ponson, who was designated for assignment on Saturday, has cleared waivers and was released, making him a free agent.
A-Rod sits: Alex Rodriguez was not in the Yankees lineup on Wednesday because of a fever and a viral infection in his throat, as Torre sent his third baseman back to the team's Seattle hotel to rest.
Rodriguez began feeling the effects of his illness on Tuesday night, but Torre wanted to get him through the game.
"I stayed away from him last night," the manager said. "I wasn't going to ask him if he was OK, because I didn't want to take him out of the game."
Rodriguez had started 122 of the first 124 games, sitting on June 2 and July 18. He got two at-bats in the latter of those two games, so Wednesday will mark just the second game this season in which he did not appear at all.
Nick Green, who has started games at second, shortstop and third base during the past three days, started in place of A-Rod on Wednesday.
"Nick Green is going to need an off-day here sooner or later," Torre quipped. "That's why you have support people, though right now we're living without a safety net."
With Green in the lineup and A-Rod at the hotel, Craig Wilson was both the starting first baseman and the team's backup infielder.
Matsui swings: Hideki Matsui took 40 swings off a tee on Wednesday, his first time hitting a ball with both hands since fracturing his wrist on May 11.
"I felt pretty good," Matsui said through his interpreter. "I didn't have any pain; I had no problems."
Torre believes that Matsui will move on to some soft-toss drills in the coming days, eventually graduating to full batting practice once the doctors clear him to do so.
"I hope it turns out that way," Matsui said. "As long as I don't have any pain, I hope it will progress like that."
The big question is whether or not Matsui will be ready for rehab games while the Minor League season is still in progress. If not, he will have to play in simulated games to get himself ready for a return.
"I don't have a specific date," he said. "My focus is to do whatever I have to do in order to be ready and get back to the team."
Wright stuff: Jaret Wright, who pitched in relief on both Saturday and Tuesday, is scheduled to start Friday against the Angels. Torre told Wright that he could move him back a day if he wanted, but Wright is expected to take the ball on his regular day.
"I'm not really concerned as far as where he pitches," said Torre. "We owe him that right, because we've asked him to do extra stuff. We owe him the right to be at his best, to give him every opportunity to have a good start."
From the dugout: Torre plans to give Ron Villone two days off, as the left-hander has pitched five times in seven days, throwing 7 1/3 innings in that span. ... Bernie Williams was experiencing some "puffiness" behind his right knee, according to Torre, and was seen with his leg wrapped before the game. "Everybody this time of year has to deal with something," Torre said, adding that he would likely keep Williams out of the outfield. ... Jason Giambi's left hamstring was still sore on Wednesday, but he started as the designated hitter. "You can still play with that when your speed isn't part of what you do," Torre said. Coming up: The Yankees and Mariners play the finale of their three-game series on Thursday, as Randy Johnson takes on Jarrod Washburn. First pitch is scheduled for 10:05 p.m. ET.
 
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