One thing the New York Yankees cannot afford is injuries. The team has held tight at both the trade deadline and the waiver deadline in hopes that their current roster is enough to get the team into the postseason and be contenders come October. However, a struggling infield and a recent injury to CC Sabathia could force the Yankees to make a last-minute move.
Sunday's finale against the Cleveland Indians saw Sabathia get taken out in the third inning. This was certainly not a welcomed sight. According to ESPN's Andrew Marchand, the pitcher was complaining about pain in his surgically repaired right knee. Sabathia was clearly in pain causing manager Joe Girardi to pull the ace early. Marchand reports the pitcher will undergo an MRI to determine the extent of the damage.
The injury to Sabathia is just another negative mark on his recent resume as the pitcher has simply not had the season he needed to have. Sabathia struggled healthy at the start of the year. He started going 3-4 with a 5.28 ERA. A few strong starts in the second half prevented the Yankees from making a trade, but with a 5.24 ERA and knee issue, New York might think otherwise.
General manager Brian Cashman has remained adamant that New York would not make trades. He voiced his confidence in Sabathia along with Stephen Drew and Brendan Ryan. However, that confidence could begin to shake. Pitchers like James Shields and Ian Kennedy are available for the taking from the San Diego Padres. Both players would be strong substitutes for Sabathia if the knee injury is truly damaged.
The Yankees must look at their current rotation. One positive is Michael Pineda is returning ahead of schedule, giving the team a six-man rotation with Sabathia in it. According to Ryan Hatch of NJ.com is reporting Pineda will be back following a forearm strain. Girardi has no plans on dropping someone from the rotation and instead will give added rest. With Masahiro Tanaka and Ivan Nova struggling with consistency, getting extra rest could be critical once Pineda returns.
September call ups are just around the corner which could be dictating the decision by New York to not trade. Rob Refsnyder is expected to come back to New York and help the struggling Drew as trades for Jose Reyes and Martin Prado were denied. Injuries will be the biggest issue for the Yankees and they need to move quickly if they continue.
