NEW YORK -- New York Yankees infielder Jayson Nix suffered a fractured left hand during Wednesday night's 4-2 win against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Batting in the bottom of the second inning, Nix was hit on the hand by an 80 mph fastball thrown by Blue Jays starter R.A. Dickey and left the game. The Yankees announced shortly thereafter that an X-ray revealed a fracture.
No timetable for his return has been announced.
"I feel terrible," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "Obviously, he's got a broken hand, and he's gonna be out for a while. So I'm not sure exactly what we're gonna do. But I feel really bad. After a great day from him yesterday and what he's meant to our club, playing so much shortstop in the absence of [Derek] Jeter, and [Eduardo] Nunez going down."
Nix was the Yankees' hero in the second game of a doubleheader Tuesday, hitting a game-tying home run in the bottom of the seventh and delivering a game-winning single in the ninth.
Nix started at third base Wednesday in place of Alex Rodriguez, who was given the night off after playing both games Tuesday. Mark Reynolds entered the game in Nix's place.
The 30-year-old Nix had been a valuable utility man in his second season with the Yankees. In 86 games, Nix was batting .236, with three home runs and 24 RBIs. With Jeter and Rodriguez missing much of the season, he filled in at both shortstop and third base.
"I always talk about Nix; he's a guy that just does things right," Girardi said. "Maybe it's not always gonna show up in the box score, all the things that he contributes. But he's a guy that just makes good decisions and does things right."
Jeter, on the disabled list with a calf injury, is scheduled to play a rehab game with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Thursday. When asked if Jeter could be called up to the Yankees on Thursday to replace Nix, Girardi said, "No, I don't think so."