Teams hit hardest by the injury bug so far this season

	B.J. Ryan is just one of several key Blue Jays sidelined by injury. AP

No self-respecting manager or front-office team builder would dare use injuries as an excuse for losing. Are you kidding me? Using injuries as an excuse -- justifiably or not -- makes baseball people look weak.

The truth is, a lot of times injuries are killers. No matter what public face teams try to put on the situation, there are injuries that simply disrupt and injuries that absolutely devastate. Early this season, the disabled lists around baseball are filling up quickly and, as usual, some teams are dealing with that better than others ...

HURT BY INJURIES

New York Yankees
With a lineup like they have, the Yankees don't need a lot of starting pitching. But a little sure wouldn't hurt. Instead, the Yankees have had to do without Mike Mussina (sore hamstring), Carl Pavano (general wimpiness, described this time as a strained forearm), Chien-Ming Wang (hamstring, though he's back now) and they've had to make do with the likes of Darrell Rasner, Jeff Karstens and the as-yet totally unimpressive Kei Igawa.

The result: A 5.65 ERA from the starting pitching, 11th in the American League, a worn-out bullpen, an 8-11 record and a place looking up at the Devil Rays in the East.

The outlook: An early May return for both Mussina and Pavano will help round out this one-dimensional team. If they both stay healthy and no other starters go down, the Yankees should contend. Of course, the Philip Hughes call-up and possible Roger Clemens signing could help a lot, too.

Toronto Blue Jays
Outfielder Reed Johnson (back surgery) won't return until July, at the earliest, and after that you can't expect him to be the same guy who hit .319 with a .390 on-base percentage last season. Slugger Troy Glaus landed on the DL with heel problems, though he could be back in the lineup soon. And closer B.J. Ryan is on the DL with elbow issues.

The result: The Jays still have the best slugging team in the AL -- even with Frank Thomas playing as if he's hurt -- so Glaus and Johnson haven't been missed as much as you might think. But since Ryan went down, Shaun Marcum and Casey Janssen have both blown saves.

The outlook: The Jays need Ryan a lot more than another bat or two, and he won't be back until mid-June, at best.

Los Angeles Angels
Utilityman extraordinaire Chone Figgins broke a couple of fingers in spring training and is still out. Rookie Howie Kendrick broke one after getting hit by a pitch April 17 and won't be back for another month or so. Pitcher Bartolo Colon just made his first start after rotator cuff surgery -- and then turned an ankle that's now sore and will make him miss his next turn in the rotation. Starter Jered Weaver is back after his fight with a sore shoulder, though he's not at full strength.

The result: The Angels have been streaky, a hot start followed by losses in eight of nine behind an impotent offense.

The outlook: Figgins, who makes this team run, is due back in a week or 10 days, and a healthy Kendrick should help the popgun offense. But keeping Weaver and Colon up and running is key. Couple them with John Lackey, Kelvim Escobar, Ervin Santana and closer Francisco Rodriguez and the Angels don't need a lot of hitting.