Yankees rumors: Mark Teixeira placed on DL, could opt for surgery

New York placed veteran first baseman Mark Teixeira on the 15-day disabled list with a cartilage tear in his knee, the club announced Saturday. According to general manager Brian Cashman, Teixeira may have to opt for season-ending surgery if rest and injections are not successful.

Teixeira left the Yankees' 6-5 loss to the Orioles on Friday night early with discomfort in his right knee. Upon leaving, he reportedly underwent an MRI.

The Yankees are depending on Teixeira to produce, but he's yet to be as consistent as he was last season, when he batted .255/.357/.548 to complement 31 home runs and 79 RBIs over 111 contests.

Teixeira, 36, has also been dealing with a neck injury and hasn't had much success to his point in 2016. Over 48 games, he is batting .180/.271/.263 in addition to three home runs and 12 RBIs.

In the corresponding roster move, the Yankees selected the contract of Chris Parmelee and transferred Dustin Ackley to the 60-day disabled list.

With Teixeira out, the Yankees will likely give Parmelee the majority of the playing time at first base. Over 42 Triple-A contests, Parmelee is batting .250/.339/.446 to complement seven home runs and 21 RBIs. He's a career .245 hitter but should be able to fill the void until Teixeira is healthy.

Nick Swisher, who is also currently in Triple-A, could also play first base, but the Yankees might have been uninterested in promoting him as a result of his slow offensive start. Over 36 minor league games, Swisher is batting .243.

Prospect Greg Bird would have likely been the obvious choice to replace Teixeira, but he's out for the season with a torn labrum.

The Yankees could also consider playing Rob Refsnyder, although he doesn't have much experience at first base.