Erick Aybar diagnosed with hyper-extended knee after ugly looking takeout slide

Erick Aybar was in obvious pain and had to be helped off the field last night after suffering what appeared to be a significant leg injury as a result of Casey McGehee sliding into him while trying to break up a double play. MLB.com has video of the play, which includes the announcers saying they thought McGehee’s slide was on the dirty (or at least unnecessary) side. My sense is that McGehee’s “slide” wasn’t all that different than what goes on trying to break up double plays every day, but the appearance and result were much worse because Aybar was in such a vulnerable position with his leg fully extended and totally unprotected (he had to reach back to snag an off-line throw and then find the base with his foot). Fortunately for the Angels it sounds like Aybar somehow avoided a serious injury. He’ll likely undergo further testing today, but the initial diagnosis is merely a hyper-extended left knee and it’s possible that he may not even need a disabled list stint. Maicer Izturis will slide from third base to shortstop for however long Aybar is out, perhaps opening the door for Brandon Wood to get one last chance to play regularly at the hot corner.