Brett Gardner, Rickie Weeks Jr. collide hard, both leave game

NEW YORK --Yankees left fielder Brett Gardner is expected to miss at least Thursday night's game after an ugly collision with Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Rickie Weeks Jr.

Gardner and Weeks both left Wednesday's game, an 8-4 win for the Yankees . Gardner had a bruised jaw and a strained neck, while Weeks has neck and shoulder soreness, according to the Rays.

"As of right now, they don't believe he has a concussion," said Yankees manager Joe Girardi about Gardner.

Rays manager Kevin Cash did not say whether Weeks will miss time.

"Right now it's just kind of a bone bruise in that AC joint area," he said. "We don't think any structural damage. We just think it's going to be sore there for him for a couple of days."

In the sixth inning, Gardner hit a comebacker to reliever Xavier Cedeno, who threw into the dirt, pulling Weeks toward the baseline. Weeks struggled to pick up the ball as Gardner was sprinting through the bag. The two collided hard, with Weeks' head smashing into Gardner's chest. For a moment, Gardner looked as if he might have been knocked out.

Gardner showed the fortitude to crawl back to the base, but then he was down for a few minutes. He eventually walked off.

Weeks also stayed down after the crash. He stayed on the field longer but was eventually removed from the game.

In other injury news, Yankees GM Brian Cashman said that 2015 first round pick James Kaprielian is nearing a decision on surgery or not for his right elbow.

Cashman did not specify if it would be Tommy John or not but did say the team is preparing for the worst case scenario.