NEW YORK -- After being scratched from the starting lineup Wednesday for personal reasons, Yankees third baseman Chase Headley returned to Thursday, pinch-hitting in the eighth inning of the team's 4-1 loss to Baltimore.
In a somber tone, Headley explained his nearly two-game absence after the game.
"Over the All-Star break, my oldest son had a small operation," Headley said. "He's been dealing with some complications the last few days. It got pretty serious yesterday, we had to take him to the hospital and he had to have another procedure. But he's doing better."
Headley described the trying time for he and his family by saying he doesn't "remember a whole lot of days that were worse" than what he went through Wednesday. His son is 4 years old.
Headley grounded out to second base in his one at-bat and did not see any balls come his way defensively. Yankees manager Joe Girardi said he believes that Headley will be available to start again when the team takes on the San Francisco Giants starting Friday at Yankee Stadium.