Mark Teixeira Discusses New Diet, Potential Impact on Production for Yankees
February 25, 2015 · Adam Wells · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
Lost in the madness of everything going on with Alex Rodriguez is the way Mark Teixeira has lost any semblance of value for the New York Yankees over the last two years. The 34-year-old has played just 138 games since 2013, but he thinks some offseason changes will provide the necessary help.
Speaking to Andrew Marchand of ESPNNewYork.com, who noted the slugger has changed his diet to remove gluten, sugar and dairy, Teixeira believes he can get back to being the hitter he was at his peak.
I look at the last two years as hopefully more of a bump in the road. The way I feel now, I feel like a kid again. I feel like I did a few years ago when I was hitting 30-plus homers and driving in 100 RBIs, playing almost every single day.
Thirty and 100 is kind of what I’ve always been and what I want to be. So if I can do that, then I know I’m helping the team out. That is the most important thing. I know if I can do that, then I know I’m helping the team out.
The issue for Teixeira since 2013 has been in his right wrist. He had surgery to repair a tendon sheath in July 2013, which kept him out for the rest of that season. His comeback in 2014, in which he hit .216/.313/.398 in 123 games, was often derailed by lingering problems from the surgery.
Last May, Teixeira had to be set down for multiple days in a row because the wrist “didn’t really feel good” as he was going through a round of batting practice, per Brendan Prunty of the Newark Star-Ledger.
As far as Teixeira’s plan to get back to his roots as a middle-of-the-order thumper, he told Marchand that the worst thing he can do is try to become a slap hitter trying to post a high average because “it just doesn’t go well for anybody.”
One interesting note from that, per Lou Musto of the Scranton-Wilkes Barre Rail Riders, is Teixeira pointing out how the wrist issues did help one aspect of his hitting:
Marchand’s report also notes that Teixeira has added 13 pounds of muscle with his new eating program. It sounds good in theory, but to throw out a cliche, the proof will be in the pudding.
There comes a point in every great athlete’s career where you just aren’t capable of doing the things you used to. Teixeira is 34 years old, certainly at a point when a typical player will be on a downward trend, though his may have come quicker than anticipated due to injuries.
Plus, with so much missed time over the last two years, Teixeira will need a long leash to get his timing back. The Yankees have a lot of money invested in him, roughly $46.3 million owed through 2016, per Baseball-Reference, so they are hopeful that his changes will allow him to be an All-Star once again.
Given all the other issues the Yankees have, they would be thrilled if Teixeira can hit like it’s 2011 (.248/.341/.494 with 39 home runs). There are a lot of “what if?” scenarios on this New York roster. Teixeira is one of the biggest, but he’s at least taken the necessary steps to put himself in better physical shape.
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