When asked if Sizemore could have microfracture surgery, which could end Sizemore's season, the Indians trainer said: "We'll have a specific update after the surgery. We're not ruling out anything. It will be an intra-operative decision."
Grady Sizemore will have surgery on his knee and be out 6-8 weeks.
New York -- The Indians were a busy team Sunday, and it had nothing to do with the way they played in a 7-3 loss to the Yankees.
Before the game, it was announced former Gold Glove center fielder Grady Sizemore will have surgery on his left knee this week in Vail, Colo. Lonnie Soloff, Indians head athletic trainer, said he'll miss at least six to eight weeks. A date for the surgery has not been set.
Left-hander David Huff was at the park in good spirits after getting hit above the left ear in the third inning Saturday by an Alex Rodriguez line drive that knocked him out of the game and sent him for a CAT scan.
Manager Manny Acta said the Indians are hopeful Huff could make his next start Thursday in Detroit.
There was also a roster move. Right-hander Jensen Lewis was recalled from Class AAA Columbus, and left-hander Aaron Laffey was optioned to clear space. Laffey, who started the year as a reliever, will start in Columbus and could soon be challenging for job in the Indians' rotation.
More Sizemore: The exact nature of Sizemore's surgery, or the length of time he'll need to recover, is still unknown. Soloff said Dr. Richard Steadman, who will perform the surgery, won't know until he begins the operation.
Soloff said the type of surgery Steadman does will depend on the stability of the cartilage in the knee. When asked if Sizemore could have microfracture surgery, which could end Sizemore's season, he said: "We'll have a specific update after the surgery. We're not ruling out anything. It will be an intra-operative decision."
"It's a big blow," Acta said. "I did not anticipate this coming out of spring training. Even though Grady was struggling, his speed never goes into a slump, he plays great defense and he has a presence on our club."
Trevor Crowe will continue to play center field and hit leadoff. Acta said Michael Brantley, who batted leadoff and played center field in September when Sizemore had surgery on his left elbow and left groin, will be called up later this year. Brantley is at Columbus.
Sizemore visited doctors in New York and Vail last week to get opinions on the knee. Soloff said the Indians consulted with doctors nationally and internationally to determine the best course of action for Sizemore's knee.
More Huff: Huff talked to reporters before Sunday's game. He said when Rodriguez called him after the game, he tried to put A-Rod at ease. Rodriguez was visibly upset after he doubled off Huff's head in the third inning.
"It was a good conversation," said Huff. "I was trying to get him to laugh because I knew it was an emotional situation for him. We had a couple of laughs over it."
Soloff said Huff took neuropsychological tests at Yankee Stadium on Sunday. It's an MLB mandate that all players take the same tests in spring training so comparisons can be made during the season in case of injury.
"We haven't gotten the results of those tests back yet," Soloff said.
Soloff said there has been no indication Huff suffered a concussion. He said Huff will be checked every six to eight hours for the next four to six days.
After hitting Huff, the ball went into right field like a line drive. Soloff said, in a way, that was a good thing.
"A lot of it has to do with physics and the angle of impact," said Soloff. "If the ball had dropped a few feet from David, it would have meant the ball was deadened from the blow."
Huff said he never saw the ball.
"If I did, I would have caught it," he said.
Huff's parents, Tom and Pat, and his older brother, Tim, were at Yankee Stadium when he was hit. When Tribe trainer Rick Jameyson reached Huff on the mound, the first thing Huff told him was to call his brother.
"One of my first concerns when I went down was reaching my brother," Huff said. "I told the trainer: 'Hey, this is my brother's cell phone number. Call him. I know he's freaking out right now. I didn't say the area code and I said, 'Oh, yeah, here's the area code.' "
Tim Huff, a former college pitcher, taught David how to pitch. On Friday, they played catch at Yankee Stadium and collected dirt from the infield. When they were growing up, they talked about pitching at Yankee Stadium.
Huff said he slept fine Saturday night.
"But my brother didn't sleep too well," said Huff. "He was up all night."