Newz Forum: BASEBALL: Sheffield gets all clear

New York Yankee's slugger Gary Sheffield can play with a torn ligament in his right thumb and will be back in the New York Yankee's lineup for spring training games later this week. Sheffield, who joined the Yankee's on a three-year $39m deal, was injured in a spring training game against Toronto.

Sheffield, who would have missed two or three months had he required surgery, visited a hand specialist in New York on Tuesday morning. He will return to Tampa on Tuesday afternoon and be back in Yankees camp on Wednesday.Sheffield originally sustained the injury last July 10 at Wrigley Field while sliding into third base. He missed one game for the Braves, who didn't deem the injury severe enough to warrant an MRI. The thumb did not seem to bother Sheffield over the rest of the season, as he hit .333 with 17 home runs and 62 RBIs after the All-Star break.Last year, shortstop Derek Jeter tore a ligament in his left thumb during the AL championship series opener against Boston. He kept on playing, taking numbing medication for the remainder of the Red Sox series, and the thumb healed on its own.

Good news for the Yankees as they are already missing there Center Fielder in Bernie Williams

That is good news for the Yankees as the would have missed him badly had he been out.