New York Yankees outfielder Hideki Matsui had his stitches removed Monday 10 days after undergoing surgery on his fractured wrist and said he is recovering steadily despite requiring a month to resume full-fledged workouts.
New York Yankees outfielder Hideki Matsui talks to reporters on Monday in New York.
"It's going to be like starting all over from scratch. I've been told by the doctor to do nothing training-wise because of the risks of affecting the fractured bone and I don't even do sit-ups," Matsui told reporters.
"I still feel pain when I move my wrist fast, but I don't have any major problems in normal circumstances," he added.
Matsui suffered a fractured left wrist on May 11 when he tried to make a sliding catch on a fly ball to shallow left field in the first inning of a game against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium.
The injury ended his streak of 518 consecutive games played with the Yankees and 1,768 overall in his career, including his stint starting Aug. 22, 1993 in his rookie season with the Yomiuri Giants.
On Monday, the 31-year-old appeared in a smaller cast instead of a heavy cast he had used since his surgery on May 12.
"It's lighter and it makes my arm move more freely, enabling me to wash my left hand," Matsui said, adding he will start going to Yankee Stadium this weekend to watch his team play.