The NY Yankees have pitcher Chase Whitley heading for the DL after suffering a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow and now he will undergo Tommy John surgery and this comes as Masahiro Tanaka is on his way back from injury and now the team could consider a trade at the deadline for Cole Hamels or Johnny Cueto to help the rotation.
The Yankees rotation has been holding up with Tanaka out and CC Sabathia struggling, but now with Whitley out, the team could consider making a move for a pitcher at the deadline. According to Hardball Talk, the Boston Red Sox "remain the favorites" for Cole Hamels, but teams like the Yankees, Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays could consider making a deal. Jon Heyman at CBS Sports also adds that Johnny Cueto is going to be a target for teams at the deadline, as he has not agreed to an extension with the Reds.
According to Fox Sports, Whitley will undergo Tommy John surgery this week and he is out after starting two games for the team as an injury replacement with Chris Capuano and Tanaka out. Tanaka is on his way back and now Whitley will be done until at least the middle of next season with elbow surgery. Whitley comes in after being a 15th round draft pick in 2010 and now he will be done for the year.
Hamels is the top trade target on the market this season and the Phillies look like they certainly will trade him this year. Hamels had a strong second half last year and this offseason Hardball Talk reported that the Yankees made a strong play for the pitcher. The team could be back in the mix now with the latest injury.
Tanaka has been on the DL since April while dealing with forearm and wrist issues and now he is on his way back and could have a rehab start this week. Whitley is another player for the Yankees who needs Tommy John surgery, as Ivan Nova is coming back from the same injury. Tanaka has been pitching with a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament and the team is hoping he can avoid having the surgery.
According to the Yankees main website, Tanaka likely will have a rehab start this week before heading back to the major league team. Tanaka was able to throw a 30-pitch bullpen session with no issues in his forearm or wrist and it couldn't come at a better time for the team. Tanaka could be back before the end of the month and that would be huge, as he was expected back in June at the earliest.
The Yankees got back Chris Capuano from his injury at the right time with Whitley going down, but losing that depth in the rotation will be tough. Capuano is no guarantee to stay healthy now after coming back and that could spark interest in making a trade for Brian Cashman down the line. Whitley was 1-2 this season in four starts and he pitched 19 innings for the team and put up a 4.19 ERA. The Yankees are getting Ivan Nova back at some point this season and now Whitley takes his place as the Yankees pitcher coming back from Tommy John.