NEW YORK (AP) — A.J. Burnett said he apologized to his New York Yankees teammates Sunday for a clubhouse fit that left him with cuts on both hands.
Sporting a bandage on each palm, Burnett said he had no trouble playing long toss and the lacerations don’t affect his ability to grip the ball. He expects to throw his scheduled bullpen session Tuesday and take his next turn in the rotation Friday night against Kansas City.
Frustrated after two innings of an ineffective outing against Tampa Bay, Burnett slammed open a set of double doors Saturday, slicing both palms on the plastic lineup-card holders fastened to the entry.
The right-hander returned to the mound in the third, but was lifted after facing two more batters and giving up his fourth run of the game. It was Burnett’s shortest start in two seasons with the Yankees, and the Rays went on to win 10-5.
Burnett initially told trainer Steve Donohue that he was hurt in a fall, but revealed the real story once he calmed down. Burnett said Sunday he learned from the situation.
The bandage on the inside of Burnett’s right hand covered the meaty part of skin between his thumb and wrist.
Even before the pitcher spoke to his teammates Sunday, Yankees captain Derek Jeter said the matter was over with and didn’t need to be addressed again.
