Cano and Marte to be Re-Examined Today

Robinson Cano and Damaso Marte returned home as damaged goods from the World Baseball Classic last week.

After their Dominican squad lost two gut-wrenching games to the Netherlands, the Yankees were informed that both players required medical examinations.

Initial reports claimed that Cano's throwing shoulder and Marte's chest were to blame for the concerns. It was later determined that Marte's own throwing shoulder was the body part in question.

While neither injured Yankee seems overly worried about their eventual diagnosis, it is never comforting to hear about arm injuries during spring training.

Players tend to exert themselves too much early on, causing injuries such as Cano's "shoulder tendinitis".

His throwing arm is his lead shoulder at the plate, and lingering tendinitis can affect his swing in the months to come.

In Marte's case, the reasons for concern any time a pitcher experiences arm trouble are self-explanatory.

He is vital to the Yankee bullpen success in 2009, especially with Joba Chamberlain's permanent switch over to the starting rotation.

After doctors determine the timetable for Cano and Marte's healthy returns, the Yankees will have a much better idea of how worried they truly should be.

Too many prolonged injuries before opening day could be a crushing blow to the team's confidence and hopes of achieving a 27th World Series title.

Replacing Cano with Angel Berroa would further shorten the depth of the lineup and widen the gap between the Yankees and their division rivals.

Let's hope it never comes to that.