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From Andrew Marchand:

With the idea of shaking up the lineup going into Game 3 against the Detroit Tigers’ ace Justin Verlander, Yankees GM Brian Cashman said that Brett Gardner could be a starting outfielder.

"He still might play a role in this thing," Cashman said on ESPN New York 98.7 FM’s "The Michael Kay Show." "You could very well see Gardner in this big outfield that Detroit has. The way our offense is, it is a possibility. He deserves consideration considering what is going on right now."

Gardner could start in the outfield with Nick Swisher or Curtis Granderson or, in some arrangements, both sitting. Previously, Yankees manager Joe Girardi has said he is hesitant to play Gardner because he has only had three major league at-bats since April. Gardner missed most of the season with an elbow problem.

Gardner is 5-for-11 in his career against Verlander and at this point I'd have to imagine he'd put up better at-bats than Swisher, after all Swish got his feelings hurt. Also, and more importantly, Swisher is just a .180 in 61 at-bats against Verlander.

From Mark Feinsand:

Gardner was activated from the 60-day disabled list before Tuesday's game, giving the Yankees an experienced pinch-runner to use late in games during the final nine games - and potentially the postseason.

"I'm excited; it's something I've been ready for for a little while," Gardner said. "I kind of understand what my role is; I might not play for three, four, five days. As the game goes along, I'll try to get a feel for what kind of situation might pop up and I'll be ready to go."

...

With his arm healthy once again, the 29-year-old is hoping to make a positive impact on his team after being limited to nine games and 34 at-bats during the Yankees' first 153 contests.

Gardner has been hitting in the indoor batting cages with hitting coach Kevin Long, but he plans to take his BP to the field for the first time Thursday in Toronto.

"I feel like I could physically do it right now," Gardner said. "But as far as me feeling like I'm pretty ready, I would need a couple of days of BP on the field."

Gardner estimates that if he is able to hit on the field Thursday without any issues, he could be available to hit in a game by Sunday or Monday.

...

It remains to be seen whether he will be able to do much more than pinch-run and play late-inning defense, but even if he proves that he's ready to hit, Gardner isn't expecting to take over a starting spot in the season's final games.

...

Joe Girardi was uncertain whether Gardner would eventually serve in a larger capacity than pinch-runner or defensive replacement this season. Although the manager didn't rule it out, he didn't sound optimistic, either.

"I don't know how realistic it is that he could do more," Girardi said. "He's got to go through some BP, and he thing is, he's probably not going to have any game at-bats. That kind of makes it tough. It's something we'll continue to evaluate as we go on."

It would be great if he proved he was able to hit, but it seems unlikely. Either way, it will be a nice addition to have his speed and defense off the bench.

From George King:

The Yankees still haven’t activated Brett Gardner, who had right elbow surgery but is a candidate to work as a pinch runner and possibly a defensive replacement. The Yankees need to clear a 40-man roster spot for the outfielder.

“It’s going to happen. I just can’t tell you exactly what day,” Girardi said. “We’re just not quite ready to make the move yet.”

From Bryan Hoch:

The Yankees are considering activating Brett Gardner as a pinch-runner and defensive replacement, a transaction that could occur as soon as Wednesday.

...

"He can play defense if we needed him to play some defense," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "He's not going to be able to hit, but you have enough guys on your bench that if his spot came up in a crazy game, you could do something."

The Yankees would need to execute a 40-man roster move to activate Gardner, who played just nine games this season before injuring his elbow making a diving catch on April 17 at Yankee Stadium.

"I've been taking fly balls since the last homestand," Gardner said. "The last few days since the team's been home, I've been throwing to bases and running; obviously, keeping my legs in shape. My legs feel good, so I feel good."

Girardi said that Gardner's limitations wouldn't necessarily nix him from a potential postseason roster spot.

"I wouldn't say he's completely ruled out," Girardi said. "I'm sure it's something that, if you're sitting around the table, you would talk about it."

Gardner said that he is currently taking light swings with zero contact and is hoping to elevate to batting practice within the next two weeks. Hitting against live pitching, for now, is not an option.

"I think if the timetable works out, maybe the last few days of the season I could be ready for that, but there's no need in me even speculating on that," Gardner said.

"I know what my role is. I'm obviously excited to do that. I realize with that sort of thing, I might not play for a week. It just depends on how the games go and what kind of situations pop up, but I'm ready if they need me."

Gardner said that he has been able to practice bunting, dropping 60 to 80 bunts one recent afternoon, but Girardi said that wouldn't likely be a useful skill in games since opponents will know Gardner that isn't permitted to swing the bat.

Gardner can certainly be a weapon as a base stealer/defensive replacement come playoff time, but I'm not sure it's worth the roster spot. I guess we'll have a better idea once the playoff roster is named, if they do make the playoffs.

From MLB.com:

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said the team would consider bringing Brett Gardner back in a limited role once rosters expand in September.

"If there's a way that he can help us, we'll definitely use him, especially in the month of September, when you can expand rosters," Girardi said. "If there are certain things that he can't do and it's during the month of August, then you kind of limit your roster. But with an expanded roster, if he can help us, we'll definitely use him if it doesn't jeopardize him getting back next year." The outfielder recently underwent arthroscopic surgery on inflamed tissue in his right elbow, causing many to believe his season would likely be over. But on Sunday, Gardner said he thinks he can still come back and contribute at some point this season.

Gardner's struggles in his rehab games earlier this season were mostly due to discomfort he felt while swinging the bat, but his value this season could come on the basepaths, where he swiped 49 bases last season. While he hasn't played since April 17, and the few attempts he's made at a comeback ended unsuccessfully, Gardner could be used as a pinch-runner or a defensive replacement off the bench once rosters expand.

Not a bad idea. It can't hurt to have that extra base stealer on the bench, especially, as Girardi pointed out, with the rosters expanded to 40. Only problem is that once the playoff begin, and runs become even more important and harder to come by, that weapon won't be available.

George A. King III is reporting that Brett Gardner had arthroscopic surgery on his injured right elbow today and everything went as planned. Team physician Chris Ahmad performed the surgery and said there told Gardner's agent that there were "no surprises" and "they found what they expected to find."

On the positive side of things, Brian Cashman was raving about Joba Chamberlain's recovery today while on WFAN:

“Joba’s out of control. The stuff he’s featuring is remarkable. He’s as high as 100 (mph) but upwards consistently (at) 96, 97, 98. He looks really good.”

...

“He’s an amazing guy,” Cashman said on WFAN. “He’s been hurt, he gets hurt a lot, but then his recovery time is like super-human -- always beats the standard. So yeah, he’s due back here shortly. I mean, the worst-case scenario would be the first week of August, but he should be here ahead of that.”

From David Waldstein:

Any slim hope the Yankees may have had that Brett Gardner would return from an elbow injury this season was almost certainly wiped out Thursday, when it was determined that he would have surgery.

The Yankees announced that Gardner would have an arthroscopic procedure next week to remove inflamed tissue from his elbow. “It will most likely conclude his season,” a spokesman said.

...

Now the Yankees have less than two weeks to decide whether to make a trade before the July 31 nonwaiver deadline to get outfield help. Without Gardner, the Yankees have lost their fastest player and an occasional candidate to slide over and back up Curtis Granderson in center field. Gardner started 10 games in center in 2011, and this season Granderson has played in 90 games going into Thursday’s game against the Athletics, one fewer that Robinson Cano’s team lead.

Wow, tough break for the Yanks and Gardner. So far, the Yankees have done very well in his absence, but I think it's about time to start looking a bit harder at the outfield trade market.

Here's an update from Dan Martin:

The Yankees outfielder, who felt soreness in his injured elbow this week after a simulated game, is still waiting to hear back about the MRI exam he took Tuesday. Yankees team doctor Christopher Ahmad is attempting to speak with renowned sports surgeon Dr. James Andrews about the MRI, according to Gardner’s agent Joe Bick. That conversation should happen Thursday.

“At the end of the day, we’ll have a pretty good idea what’s going on,” Bick said.

Original Post Below

From Connor Orr:

Manager Joe Girardi did not have any definitive news on injured left fielder Brett Gardner (right elbow) Tuesday night, amid reports Gardner could be sidelined for the remainder of the season.

Girardi said he called Gardner yesterday, but couldn’t speak with him because Gardner was undergoing an MRI.

“I think he was in the MRI tube,” Girardi joked, saying he couldn’t call again or else it would “mess up the scanner.”

When reached Tuesday night, Gardner’s agent, Joe Bick, said he didn’t have an update, either. Girardi expects to have a report on the MRI by Wednesday.

...

Girardi revealed before Monday night’s game against Toronto that Gardner had to be shut down again due to the elbow flaring up after a simulated game on Sunday.

But Girardi wasn’t ready to count out Gardner, even if he can’t be productive at the plate. He said if Gardner isn’t fully healthy, he could be used for his defense and in pinch-running situations later in the season.

“You could do that in September, sure,” Girardi said. “It just depends, if he doesn’t get healthy, what we’d have to do.”

I assume the results will be in fairly soon, so check back later for an update.

From Pete Caldera:

Brett Gardner has suffered yet another setback in his rehab from a strained right elbow, casting doubt about his return to the Yankees this season.

The speedy outfielder awoke Monday with soreness in the elbow. He had restarted his baseball rehab on Sunday with four at-bats in a simulated game.

"It's a concern because it's happened before," manager Joe Girardi said on Monday afternoon. "But we'll have to wait and see."

...

"It is puzzling," Girardi said. "We expected that he'd get through this and our hope is still that he'll get through this."

This is Gardner's third setback. Expect the Yankees to monitor the outfield market a lot more closely now.

From Mark Feisand:

Joba Chamberlain made his first rehab appearance in the Gulf Coast League on Tuesday, allowing an unearned run in an inning of work.

Chamberlain, who is returning from both Tommy John elbow surgery and an open dislocation of his right ankle, struck out two batters, hitting as high as 97 mph on the radar gun. Brian Cashman said Chamberlain would “probably not” need the full 30 days allotted for his rehab assignment, though the Yankees are not projecting a date for his return.

...

As for Brett Gardner, he continues to work his way toward a rehab assignment, passing every test such as dry swings and tee-and-toss work.

Cashman believes the Yankees will get their left fielder back at some point, though given the fact that Gardner has made it to rehab assignments twice before only to be shut down, the GM isn’t putting a timetable on it.

Joba progress has been pretty remarkable and from what we've already seen I wouldn't be surprised if he does come back before the 30 days. The addition of Joba, especially if he's throwing 97 mph, will obviously be a nice boost to the pen down the stretch.

As for Gardner, this team could definitely use his speed and defense, so let's just hope he can get through his next rehab assignment. According to another report, Cashman said the earliest Gardner could return will be on July 27th.

From Jon Lane:

Brett Gardner (elbow) will join the Yankees in St. Petersburg, Fla., next week during the series against the Rays to take dry swings, but is still not expected back prior to the All-Star break. Gardner will first play in rehab games when teams return to action with the goal for him to be activated at full strength. He suffered a second setback on June 10 while playing with with Single-A Charleston, so the organization will err on the side of caution.

No reason not to be cautious. With the Yankees currently holding onto the game's best record there is no reason to rush anything with Gardner.

From Marc Carig:

Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner could be back in three to four weeks, the club announced today, after doctors ruled out the possibility of a major injury that could have cost him his season.

Instead, two leading orthopedic surgeons confirmed that Gardner has a strained left elbow, a bone bruise, and joint inflammation, which have not fully healed.

Gardner underwent platelet rich plasma therapy and took a cortisone shot today. Doctors have recommended three to four weeks rest for the outfielder, who has suffered two setbacks in his attempt to return from the injury, which landed him on the disabled list in mid-April.

The Yankees did more than enough to weather the injury storm that hit them earlier this year. Between the losses of Gardner, Mo and Robertson I thought the Yankees would be in trouble and I'm sure most of you felt the same way. Instead, the Yanks have won 16 of their last 20 and hold the AL's best record. Now, with Robertson back and Gardner on his way back, the rest of the league should be afraid, very afraid.

From George A. King III & Mike Puma:

At this rate it would be viewed as a positive if the Yankees got Brett Gardner back immediately after the All-Star break.

For the second time in a month, Gardner experienced a problem following a minor league rehab game and nobody knows when the left fielder will be healthy enough to return to the big leagues this year.
Gardner last played for the Yankees on April 17 when he suffered a strained right (non-throwing) elbow.

“He woke up and had pain [Saturday],’’ manager Joe Girardi said of Gardner, who went 1-for-3 Friday night for Single-A Charleston. “He will see the doctor and that’s all I got for you until we find out what is going on. Obviously it’s a setback.’’

Gardner will be examined by Dr. James Andrews tomorrow or Tuesday and see Dr. Timothy Kremchek on Thursday.

Gardner felt something on May 10 playing for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Friday was his first rehab game since then.

When Gardner had the first setback, Girardi had an idea what would happen if a second one surfaced.

“I said if he had another one I thought it would be after the All-Star break [July 9-12],’’ Girardi said. “So there are concerns.’’

In other Yankees injury news, David Robertson will begin a rehab assignment on Sunday with the SWB Yankees.

According to Andrew Marchand, injured outfielder Brett Gardner took five at-bats in an extended spring training game today and Girardi sounded pleased with the results saying "all went well." Marchand went on to say that there is a "remote" possibility that Gardner could return during this weekend's Subway Series vs. the grossly overachieving Mets. Girardi wants to give Gardner tomorrow off and then have him play a few days in a row before making any decisions.

"Everything is pretty good right now,'' Girardi said. "We'll just have to see how he does. It's possible (he could play this weekend), but we'll just have to see how it goes.''"

From Bryan Hoch:

Brett Gardner and David Robertson inched one step closer to coming off the disabled list on Monday, working out at the Yankees' Minor League complex in Tampa, Fla.

Gardner took dry swings to test his strained right elbow and Robertson played catch without feeling any discomfort from a strained left oblique, which is encouraging news for a Yankees club that is looking forward to their respective returns.

"Everything went well, so they'll move on to whatever they have to do tomorrow," manager Joe Girardi said.

The Yankees have ruled out the idea of Robertson rejoining them on this road trip, making his earliest possible return date June 5 at Yankee Stadium against the Rays. Robertson hasn't pitched since May 11.

Girardi said that Gardner, who hasn't appeared in a big league game since April 17, will need to play in a few Minor League rehab games before the Yankees can seriously consider activating him.

Gardner's best-case scenario would be 10 days away, but the Yankees figure to be cautious because any further setback could mean they would be without the speedster until the All-Star break.

Good news for the Yanks. Unfortunately for them, they don't play the A's everyday so they're going to need these guys if they plan on continuing their move up in the standings.

Ok, so I guess that earlier report that Gardner was going to be activated was wrong. In fact, Gardner felt soreness in had some swelling in his elbow and is now headed for an MRI. Cross your fingers, because with this team's luck he'll need some sort of surgery.

From Sweeny Murti:

Yankees left fielder Brett Gardner is likely to be activated from the disabled list on Thursday night, reports WFAN’s Sweeny Murti.

The speedster was not with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees — the Bombers’ Triple-A affiliate — for their day game on Thursday, so it’s likely that he’ll be in the Bronx this evening.

Good news. His defense and speed will certainly help, plus, before he went down he was also hitting a very nice .321.

From Marc Carig:

Left fielder Brett Gardner is eligible to come off the disabled list Thursday, though Girardi called his activation on that day “a little doubtful.”

Gardner is ticketed to make at least one appearance in a minor-league game, which will likely push back his return from a strained left elbow.

If Gardner isn’t back on the roster by later this week, Eduardo Nunez may see more time in the outfield, with the Royals scheduled to start two left-handers.

Great, we get to see more of this:

From Mark Feinsand:

Brett Gardner is headed to the disabled list with a bone bruise and strain of his right elbow, an injury he seemed to suffer while making a sliding catch in the third inning Tuesday.

...

“He took BP today and said he felt fine, but when he went to take his swings in the cage at 6:20 or 6:30, it wasn’t fine,” Girardi said. “At some point in between that, it must have flared up.”

I was told that Gardner only took a handful of swings during BP, telling people that his elbow was sore. The second round of swings apparently cinched it, prompting the Yankees to send him for the MRI.

The team has looked very mediocre to start the year and now, considering that Gardner is one of only a few Yankees actually hitting the ball (.321 so far), this could be a tough loss. Relief pitcher, Cody Eppley, will replace Gardner on the 25-man roster.

(Update) Apparently the asking price was not as reasonable as originally reported:

***Original Post***
Not sure how credible this is, so take it with a grain of salt, but here's the info from NYBD:

A source down at the Winter Meetings informed me of a 3-way deal being discussed between the Yankees, Oakland, and Kansas City. The players discussed were:

Yankees get: Gio Gonzalez

A’s get: LF Brett Gardner from Yanks, 1B Clint Robinson from Royals.

Royals get: RHP David Phelps, OF Michael Taylor, and a PTBNL from Yanks that is expected to be off 40-man roster.

Gonzalez is a solid pitcher and he's only 26, so I guess this isn't a terrible deal. At the same time, I really don't think the Yankees should trade Gardner. His speed and defense do a lot for this team, even if he finds himself in a deep slump every now and then. And with the Yankees, and their money, I'd much rather see them avoid trades, and throw some money at a free agent (Darvish, Wilson, etc...). If they're going to continue to raise ticket prices and force the average fan to stay home, the least they can do is continue to buy themselves into the post season.