BREAKING NEWS: Andy Leaves Tonight's Start With Apparent Injury (Updated)

He wasn't having that great a start to begin with, but it just got worse for Andy Pettitte when he had to leave tonight's game with 2 outs in the top of the 5th inning.  Pettitte had just thrown a pitch to strike out his second straight batter of the inning and appeared to grimace on his last pitch.  Joe didn't take any chances and removed Andy from the game.

It would be unfair to speculate, but the first place you think of with Andy is his back.  He's already missed a few starts due to back spasms this year and those type of problems don't just go away when you're his age.  More on this story as it becomes available.

** UPDATE 5/17 6:50 AM- The team announced that Pettitte left last night's game with a tight left trap.  After the game, Joe said he wasn't too concerned about it, so that's good news.  It was not said whether Pettitte will miss his next start. **

Want To See What No Command Looks Like?

There you have it.  36 pitches, 17 swings, 0 misses, 6 hits, 2 walks, 7 runs.  Phil Hughes joined a couple of select clubs in historical Yankee and baseball futility last night and it's not difficult to see why.  He was fastball-heavy again, and left almost all of them either right in the middle of the plate or way off the corners.  To make matters most, a lot of those fastballs middle and away as you right to left were thrown to left-handed hitters, putting them in perfect position to extend their arms and make solid contact, which they did.

It'd be easy to try to tie this back to Hughes' issues throwing inside or his need to work his offspeed stuff more, but that would be a moot point in this instance.  His offspeed stuff was just as bad, dropping right over the heart of the hitting zone or way off the corner.  Phil just had nothing last night, and it was the latest in a long line of examples of how frustrating his "hot and cold" career as a starter has gone.  As I mentioned earlier this morning over at IIATMS/TYA, if Hughes has officially settled at his ceiling of #4 starter, he might not be looking at offers as big as once thought after this season.

(Pitch plot courtesy of Texas Leaguers)

The One Good Thing To Come Out Of Last Night

This:

The good news? Preston Claiborne is using "When The Levee Breaks" as his entrance music. Excellent choice.
— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughSL) May 15, 2013

I've already signed my application forms to join the Preston Claiborne bandwagon based solely on his performance since being called up.  The kid still hasn't given up a run in 5 appearances and has looked really good in every outing, with 4 strikeouts and not a single walk on his ledger.  He's throwing strikes, attacking hitters, everything you want to see from a young reliever.  Now that I know he has excellent taste in music and comes out to a super badass song for his entrance music, I'm putting a rush on submitting those forms.  I need to be officially recognized as a Preston Claiborne fan.

Game 40 Wrap-Up: SEA 12 NYY 2

(... Courtesy of Getty Images)

The Yankees reached the quarter pole of the regular season last night, and they did it the same way they started the season by making roster moves and trying to piece a lineup together from the collection of healthy bodies they had.  David Adams was the newest addition, called up on his birthday and just a few months after being outright released from the team to create a 40-man roster opening.  He was playing third base and hitting 6th, a sign of confidence from Joe, and looking to make a name for himself by being the next next man up this season.  Any continuation of that fun storyline got quickly swallowed up by the suck of Hughes.

Game Notes:

- Phil Hughes' start last night ended almost as quickly as it started.  After getting Michael Saunders to fly out to start the game, Hughes put the next 7 runners on, the big dagger a Raul Ibanez grand slam, and actually got yanked with just 2 outs in the 1st and 7 runs on the board.  Awful doesn't even begin to describe it.

- Vernon Wells continued his hot hitting in the bottom half, clubbing his 10th HR of the season to get the Yankees on the board.  If they got blown out, at least they wouldn't be shut out.

- Preston Claiborne came on after Hughes and turned in another good outing, tossing 2.1 innings of scoreless ball with 2 strikeouts.  Brett Marshall made his Major League debut after and wasn't so successful.  He took one for the team to the tune of 5 ER on 9 H and 5 BB in 5.2 IP.  Not exactly a repeat of Nuno's debut.

- Chris Stewart, yes THE Chris Stewart, gave the Yanks their only other run with a solo HR, his 3rd of the year, in the top of the 5th.

- Other than those 2 homers, Seattle starter Hisashi Iwakuma was great.  He needed just 89 pitches to get through 7 innings, and kept the Yanks off balance with a great sinker/splitter combination.  Not that it would have mattered if he was off with the run support he got.

- Fun little deal with Alberto Gonzalez coming on to get the final out of the 9th on a 81 MPH fastball/changeup.  Even when your team is getting killed, position players pitching is always entertaining.

David Adams Officially Called Up (Updated)

This was hinted at over the weekend and it's become a reality today, at least according to Josh Norris' tweet earlier this morning.  David Adams, almost 3 years removed from an ankle injury that seriously jeopardized his career, has been called up by the Yankees to play third base while Kevin Youkilis continues to rehab.

It's been a long, strange trip for Adams.  From hot young prospect to almost having his career ended to being the player who caused the Cliff Lee trade to fall apart to a long, tough rehab, back to top prospect, and now to Major League starting third baseman.  With a Robbie Cano extension looking more likely these days, a situation like this was Adams' best chance to break into the Majors and now he can take that chance and try to carve out a permanent role for himself.

No word yet on who will be sent down/DFA'd/released to clear a 25-man spot for Adams, although the smart money and every ounce of hope I have would be and is on Ben Francisco.  Should he get the axe, the Yankees would have a bench of Alberto Gonzalez and Chris Nelson covering the infield, Ichiro the outfield, and Austin Romine the backup catcher spot.

** UPDATE 3:17 PM-  The team has made it official, Adams is in the locker room, he might be in tonight's starting lineup, and Nelson gets DFA'd.  Francisco survives again. **

Vernon Wells Was Never Slumping

(Vern, baby, Vern!  Just made that up.  Courtesy of Getty Images)

Vernon Wells got off to a scorching hot start this season, all things considered probably the most surprising hot start out of anybody on the team.  After 10 games he was hitting .333/.421/.697, then he treaded water for the couple of weeks.  From April 28th to May 7th Wells saw his line drop down to .270/.328/.468, and the prevailing thought was that he was already starting to tire and come back to earth after that hot start that partially defied his contact rates.  Since May 7th, Wells has 12 hits (3 HR), 5 runs scored, and 9 RBI in 8 games, raising his line back up to its current .300/.353/.521 state.

The dreaded "S" word was thrown around early in the month when Wells wasn't producing, but a quick check of the periphs shows that Wells isn't slumping, wasn't slumping, and hasn't really shown any signs of slumping roughly one quarter of the way through the season.

Hafner Day-To-Day With Shoulder Soreness

Actually it's shoulder "tendinitis" according to the team, but either way it means there's nothing seriously wrong with Travis Hafner.  There was a bit of a scare when his name wasn't in the lineup last night and it was reported that he was going for an MRI.  That MRI showed no serious damage, he was given a cortisone shot, and Joe implied that he could be back as early as tonight.

While it sounds like a bullet dodged here, a rare outcome when it comes to Yankees and injuries this year, it's still probably in everybody's best interests to give Hafner a day or two more than he actually needs.  If he feels like he can go today, play him tomorrow or Friday.  Hafner has been a walking DL stint for the last handful of years, and with the lack of depth in the lineup right now the Yankees need to keep him healthy and productive for as long as possible.  They're in a position where they have a small cushion in the division and are playing good baseball, so why not take advantage of that and give Pronk a little more time?  Short-term loss for a potential long-term gain.

Game 39 Wrap-Up: NYY 4 SEA 3

(Welcome back, bud.  Courtesy of Getty Images)

There aren't many pitching matchups better on paper than CC Sabathia vs. Felix Hernandez, and somehow that storyline took a backseat last night.  After having his forearm fractured on one of the first pitches of his first Spring Training at-bat, Curtis Granderson returned to the Yankee lineup tonight, the first of what is hopefully many more high-profile DL returns this season.  He was in an unfamiliar position, both in the outfield (starting in left) and in the lineup (batting 4th), but I'm sure he was just happy to be back playing in games that matter and back to having that short porch in right.

Game Notes:

- Tough first AB for Curtis, who came up with 2 on and 1 out in the bottom of the first.  After working a 3-1 count against Hernandez, he swung at a sinker and grounded it into an inning-ending double play.  He finished the night 0-3 with a BB, K, and R scored.

- CC cruised through a 1-2-3 1st, and was in trouble seemingly every inning thereafter.  He put 2 men on in the 2nd, gave up an unearned run on a double in the 3rd, and escaped a bases loaded jam in the 4th.  He just wasn't fooling anybody with his fastball.

- In typical King Felix fashion, he absolutely dominated the Yankee lineup through 5.  He allowed just 2 more baserunners after the 1st, striking out 8 hitters.  His line could have been even better had he not left after 6 innings with an apparent leg injury.

- CC gave up a HR to former Yankee, and still Yankee hero, Raul Ibanez to make it 3-0 Seattle in the 6th, but recovered to strike out the side after on some nasty offspeed stuff.  He was done after 6.1 and 12 total baserunners.

- The Yankees got to Felix for a run in the 6th, and after he left they struck in a big way against the Seattle bullpen.  Charlie Furbush got beat for 3 walks, a clutch 2-run double by Robinson Cano, and a sac fly to cough up the lead and make it 4-3 Yanks.  Classic Yankee patience on display in that inning.

- The Yankee bullpen, as usual, put on a clinic in holding a lead in the 8th and 9th with the usual suspects.  David Robertson used almost all 4-seamers and no cutters to handle the 8th, while Mo was who you thought he was for a 1-2-3 9th and his 16th save.

The Grandy Man Returneth

(Originally published at IIATMS/TYA)

After the Yankees made a roster move to add a pitcher for yesterday's second doubleheader game, speculation started almost immediately about what it meant.  Brett Marshall was added as extra bullpen insurance, insurance that wasn't needed, but Brennan Boesch getting sent down to clear a spot was the real story because it could mean only one thing.  Curtis Granderson was ready to come back.

Joe hinted at it in his postgame presser, Donnie Collins added fuel to the fire with his report, and Granderson himself all but confirmed it last night on Twitter.  He's on his way to New York to meet up with the team today, and with Corban Joseph having to go back down to Triple-A immediately after yesterday's game the expectation is that C-Grand will be activated off the DL to fill that roster spot and will be in the starting lineup for tonight's game.

Give A Call To Adam Warren

(Might need to work on that high five form a bit.  Courtesy of the AP)

It's only 7 appearances, and there's some slight suggestion of BABIP and SSS luck working in his favor, but it would be wrong to not point out the great job Adam Warren has done so far this season.  After having a relatively stagnant year in 2012 in his second Triple-A season, Warren has blossomed and carved out a nice role for himself in the Major League bullpen this season.  His early career path has been very similar to the one David Phelps used to break into the show last year.

Like Phelps, Warren has shown an ability to be flexible in his relief roles and effective in multiple types of scenarios.  He's been good in short appearances and he's been very good in long appearances, like his first of the year coming in for Hiroki or his 4-inning save last night.  Like Phelps, his stuff has also played up a bit coming out of the 'pen, particularly his fastball velocity.  That has bumped his K rate up (7.23 K/9, 20.3% overall), and Warren's willingness to use all his pitches gives him options with 2 strikes.  He's basically the #1 long man with Phelps in the rotation right now, and he's pitched well enough to keep his spot on the roster when a pitcher gets sent down for C-Grand later today.

He's not the young, top-of-the-rotation arm that the Yankees need and that they've been widely criticized for failing to develop over the last 10-15 years, but Warren has proven to be another useful homegrown pitcher capable of filling multiple roles on the pitching staff as needed.  Like Phelps, if he can continue to perform well, he could put himself in the mix for a rotation spot next year.

Game 38 Wrap-Up: NYY 7 CLE 0

(Dude, I want that.  Courtesy of the AP)

The Yankees were blanked in the early afternoon opener yesterday, not surprisingly succumbing to the weak lineup Joe was forced to put out there.  They still had a chance to salvage a split of the doubleheader and finish off a 6-2 road trip in the mid-afternooncap.  Vidal Nuno was getting the start and Brett Marshall was called up to add bullpen depth behind him at the expense of Brennan Boesch, whose demotion to Triple-A may signal another exciting roster move coming today.  It would have been hard for Nuno to make a better first impression in his first Major League start, and this time the offense gave him some support to earn the split.

Game Notes:

- The offense wasted no time getting on the board in this one, plating a run on a pair of singles, a Carlos Santana throwing error, and a Vernon Wells groundout in the top of the 1st.

- Nuno retired the first 8 batters he faced into the 3rd inning, doing what he always does and pounding the strike zone with his 4-seam and 2-seam fastballs.  Hopefully David Phelps was paying attention.

- That 1st inning run was looking pretty lonely on the scoreboard for the Bombers.  They failed to capitalize on 2 walks in the 3rd inning and a leadoff single in the 4th.  Once again, the game was too close and the margin for error was zero.

- It didn't matter because Nuno worked brilliantly within his non-existent margin for error.  He worked around 2 walks in the 4th and 2 2-out singles in the 5th to finish his outing in style with a strikeout of Asdrubal Cabrera.  5 innings, no runs, 89 pitches.  Not bad for having not pitched since last month.

- It took 15 innings, but the offense finally broke out to support Nuno in the top of the 7th.  A pair of doubles by CoJo and Romine got it started, a pair of singles by Nix and Wells gave the cushion, and a 2-run double by Lyle Overbay broke the game open.  By the time the dust settled, it was 7-0 Yanks.

- Adam Warren, who's been sneaky disgusting in his limited appearances, relieved Nuno and pitched 4 shutout innings of his own, with 0 walks and 4strikeouts, to earn a save and finish off the shutout.

Game 37 Wrap-Up: CLE 1 NYY 0

(Good, but not good enough.  Courtesy of the AP)

I imagine the "let's play two" phrase never factored in a roster being in such disarray as the Yankees' presently is.  Just takes all the fun out of the idea when you know Alberto Gonzalez is going to be involved.  But, such was the hand the Yanks had been dealt and they looked to play it correctly and keep their winning streak going earlier today in Cleveland.  David Phelps was on the mound, likely looking at at least 1 more start after Nova's setback yesterday, and the Yankees needed him to provide some length to cover for Vidal Nuno in the second game.

Game Notes:

- Phelps was shaky through 3 innings, fighting command issues with both his 4-seamer and his offspeed stuff.  He gave up a run in the 1st on a Jason Kipnis solo HR, but limited it to that and struck out 4 batters.

- Opposing pitcher Justin Masterson displayed much better command, mixing both his fastballs and slider well in limiting the Yankee lineup to just 2 hits and no runs through 4.  He had to work out of a bases loaded situation in the 2nd, but facing Gonzalez is always makes that task easier.

- The balancing act continued for Phelps through the middle innings.  He walked 2 in the 4th and worked around it, then threw a 12-pitch, strikeout-strikeout-groundout 5th inning.

- Masterson continued to best him through innings.  The Yankee hitters were playing right into his hands, swinging early and often in the count and hitting a lot of grounders, and Masterson helped facilitate those swings with a lot of early strikes.

- Gutsy move by Joe leaving Phelps in for the 7th, and an equally gutsy job by Phelps almost getting through the inning.  He exited after giving up a double and a walk with 2 outs and Boone Logan cleaned up.

- The offense just never got going.  They went down as quietly in the 8th and 9th as they did in every other innings, giving Masterson a complete game victory.  Kudos to Preston Claiborne for a solid bottom of the 8th.

The Yankees' Wild 2013 Ride Keeps Rolling Along

(Pictured- the new Murderer's Row.  Wait, what?  Courtesy of Getty Images)

(Originally published at IIATMS/TYA)

Today should be fun, huh?  After starting off their "8 in 7" road trip with a 2-1 series win in Colorado and a 3-game sweep in KC, the surging Yankees will stop off in Cleveland today on their way back home for a doubleheader to make up for last month's rainouts.  They were 2-4 when they first came to Cleveland 5 weeks ago and used the first 2 games of that series to kickstart their season, winning both by a combined score of 25-7.  Since then the Yanks have gone 19-9, ascended to the top of the division, and silenced nearly all the critics who said they'd be done after suffering their rash of ST injuries, this extended stretch of success being driven by some of the players most expected to flop as full-time injury replacements.  Now they'll come back to where the season really started, even more injured and worn down than they were last time, and they'll do it with a 5-game winning streak in their pocket.

Game 36 Wrap-Up: NYY 4 KC 2

(Sure beats getting carted off the field.  Courtesy of the AP)

To know that you're heading into a day-day doubleheader with a victorious road trip already locked up is a great feeling and it's the position the Yankees find themselves in this morning after they completed a sweep of the Kansas City Royals yesterday.  It's still only 36 games into a loooooong season, but it's already starting to get to a point where you run out of things to say about the job this group has done in the first month plus.  Players keep dropping like flies, they bring new ones in to fill the gaps, and keep right on winning.  Their pitching has been great, their offense has been timely, and they got big examples of both yesterday with Hiroki Kuroda on the mound.

Game Notes:

- The lineup struck in a big way the 2nd time through the order, when Robinson Cano and Vernon Wells hit back-to-back HR with 2 outs in the top of the 3rd to give the Yanks a 3-1 lead.  Ervin Santana hung a couple sliders and they ended up as souvenirs.

- Kuroda gave up a cheap run in the bottom of the 1st off a leadoff double, and that was all the Royals got through 4.  He was attacking hitters, throwing a lot of strikes, and generating a lot of weak swings and contact.

- Wells continued his hot hitting with an RBI single in the 5th to give Kuroda a 3-run lead and that was all the offense the Yanks would get for the day.  They put a few runners on here and there but never really threatened to score again.

- Kuroda put a few runners on here and there as well, 2 in the 5th, 1 each in the 6th and 7th, before finally tiring and giving up a second run in the 8th.  He left with a 2-run lead after 7.2 very good innings.

- And as they seem to do every day lately, D-Rob and Mo combined to close out the win and the sweep.  That's now 15-15 in save opportunities and a 1.65 ERA for Rivera on the year.

Nova Ruled Out For Monday, Second Starter Options Aplenty (Updated)

Well I guess all that talk about what Nova and Phelps have to do to nail down the 5th starter spot was naught, huh?  David Phelps will be starting the first game of tomorrow's doubleheader against the Indians for sure, and after feeling something in his left side playing catch this morning, Ivan Nova will definitely not be starting the second game.  Not only will Nova not be starting, he more than likely won't be coming off the DL at all tomorrow when he's scheduled to, which puts the Yankees in a difficult position to cover the second game tomorrow now that Joe has ruled out CC Sabathia.

The most likely option is a tandem long relief start by Adam Warren and Vidal Nuno, each of whom are capable of going at least 2-3+ innings.  Not knowing if he'll have to use one or both of them today, Joe can't fully commit to that option right now and it sounds like he'll be using the new "26th man" rule for doubleheaders to give himself some insurance.

It's not your typical news source, but according to Ty Hensley's mother's Twitter account, the Yankees will call up Brett Marshall tomorrow to serve as their 26th roster man.  Marshall has been pitching in Triple-A all season (4.60 ERA/4.19 FIP in 31.1 IP), and is scheduled to make his next start tomorrow.  If Nuno or Warren becomes unavailable, Marshall will at least be able to go out and eat innings based on pitch count.  Either way, the Yanks should have at least have a plan for tomorrow night's second game.

** UPDATE 6:19 PM- Per Joe during today's postgame presser, Nuno will get the start in the second game.  Warren will be his caddy and Marshall will be on standby at the team hotel if it turns out they need another arm for the second game. **

Nunez To The DL, Gonzalez Called Up

After being unable to go again last night, the Yankees have elected to put Eduardo Nunez on the 15-day DL to hopefully allow him to completely recover from his nagging ribcage issue.  Nunez has been out of the lineup since leaving last Sunday's game with a muscle strain in his ribcage, so the DL stint will be backdated to May 6th.  The recently acquired Alberto Gonzalez will be called up from Triple-A to take Nunez's roster spot, and Mark Teixeira has been moved to the 60-day DL to open a 40-man spot for Gonzalez.

This move doesn't come as a huge surprise given the length of time it's already taken Nunez to recover from what was thought to be a minor tweak and the moves the Yankees have made/are making to address their dwindling infield depth.  They made the trade for Gonzalez a few days ago, and then there was yesterday's report about David Adams getting called up next week.  It all adds up to a pretty obvious DL stint situation, and here's hoping the extra week off will help Nunez get over this injury.

Game 35 Wrap-Up: NYY 3 KC 2

(Ho-hum, another save.  Courtesy of the AP)

One bad start in a row is nothing.  Two in a row is enough to get people to start paying attention.  Three would have been cause for concern.  Luckily Andy Pettitte didn't make it to three last night, rebounding from his recent poor stretch of command-less outings last night with a very good performance and outdueling "Big Game" James Shields for another 1-run Yankee victory.  That's 4 in a row, guaranteeing them nothing worse than a .500 record on this road trip with 3 games to play.  I'll take that any day.

Game Notes:

- Runs were hard to come by early for both teams.  The Yanks got theirs in the 3rd on a Chris Nelson leadoff double and a throwing error by Mike Moustakas.  KC got theirs a half-inning later on a leadoff single, stolen base, and a pair of groundouts.

- Pettitte's command was much better than in his last 2 bad starts, especially his cutter.  He was locating down in the zone, getting a lot of GB outs, and getting swings and misses on his slider.

- The one mistake he made came in the bottom of the 4th, when he grooved a 2-1 fastball to Billy Butler.  Butler hit it for a solo HR and the Royals had a 2-1 lead.

- That lead didn't last very long.  Shields hit Chris Stewart to start the top of the 5th, and after getting 2 outs he fell behind Vernon Wells 3-1.  Like Pettitte, he had to throw a fastball in that count and like Pettitte he threw a bad one that Wells hit for a 2-run homer and a 3-2 Yankee lead.

- Andy retired the final 7 batters he faced, all on the infield, and D-Rob and Mo nailed down the final 2 innings.  D-Rob was positively filthy in the 8th, striking out the side on 12 pitches.

Yanks Could Call Up David Adams Next Week

I haven't seen it confirmed by many other reporters, but according to Mark Feinsand the Yankees are planning on calling up David Adams next week to assume the full-time replacement third base job while Kevin Youkilis is on the DL.  Adams, who was surprisingly released by the team in March due to the roster problems, is eligible to be called up on May 15th per MLB's rules on player release and re-sign and would be another option to help cover for the loss of Youkilis.  With Eduardo Nunez still banged up, the team has few options on the left side and Chris Nelson has been little help.

Adams, who also happens to turn 26 on May 15th, has been raking since returning to Triple-A SWB.  He's currently hitting .314/.404/.477 in 99 PA, with 9 XBH, 9 RBI, and a healthy 11.1% BB rate.  He's been the full-time third baseman for the RailRiders, and has also recently got some work at second and first.  Adams' right-handedness would not only be a likely upgrade to the production of Nunez/Nix/Nelson, he could also offer some depth behind Cano and Overbay on the right side, and they're two players that could probably use a day off.

Adams doesn't project as that type of hitter in the Majors, but he's a likely upgrade over what the Yanks have right now and this is his best shot to break into the show.  If it happens, it sounds like a good move.

Game 34 Wrap-Up: NYY 11 KC 6

(All of the high fives and fist bumps to Mr. Overbay.  Courtesy of the AP)

The Yanks got their "8 in 7" road trip off to a good start by taking 2 of 3 in Colorado, and they were looking to keep the momentum going in Kansas City last night with Phil Hughes on the mound.  The Royals are off to a good start of their own this year, and finally appear to be taking advantage of all the high draft picks they've had in recent years.  It wasn't to be for them last night, however, as the Yankees jumped all over starter Wade Davis early and never let up on their way to a big offensive night.

Game Notes:

- Davis retired the top of the order 1-2-3 in the top of the 1st, then got in all kinds of trouble in the 2nd.  Travis Hafner drew a leadoff walk and scored on an Ichiro 2-run HR, Jayson Nix doubled and scored on a Lyle Overbay 2-run HR, and Hughes had himself a 4-0 lead.

- He gave most of it back quickly and in very frustrating fashion.  After putting the first 2 runners on, he struck out 2 in a row and had Jarrod Dyson 0-2 before falling back to 2-2 and throwing one 4-seamer too many for a 3-run homer.

- The Lyle Overbay show was just beginning.  He drove in another run in the 4th with a double and another in the 6th as part of a 5-run inning that finally broke the game open.  Chris Nelson also got in on the act with a 2-run single, and Brett Gardner plated him with an RBI triple.

- Hughes never got back on track, giving up runs in the 5th and 6th, and his night ended before he could get out of the 6th inning.  He threw strikes, just didn't locate his fastball consistently.

- The bullpen was real short behind him, but that didn't stop it from being effective.  Shawn Kelley was spectacular in 2.1 innings behind Hughes, allowing 0 baserunners and striking out 6.  Boone Logan K'd 2 himself in the 9th.

- Just for good measure, Overbay drove in another run on a GB single in the 9th.

Friday Afternoon Linkapalooza: 5/10/13

No time for jibber jabber today.  Onto the links!

- On Monday, Alphonso of It Is High... asked if Austin Romine had already been banished to the bench full time after his poor debut.  I certainly hope not.  I don't want 60 days of Stewart while Cervelli is on the mend.

- Mike Axisa of RAB started identifying potential need areas and trade deadline targets to fill them.  Never too early to start thinking about that when your team is as banged up as the Yankees are.

- On Tuesday, Martin Riggs of NoMaas pointed out some negative trends in the Yankees' BB and Swing rates this season.  Not a fun connection to the last year those rates were this low/high.

- Chad Jennings of LoHud commented on the varying levels of replacement-level production the Yanks have gotten for all their injured players.

- On Wednesday, Derek Albin of Pinstripe Pundits compared the Yankees' early production to the preseason projections to see who's been hauling the mail and who's lagging behind.

- Alex Pugliese of Yanks Go Yard traced the up-and-down career of Phil Hughes to present day to see if we are finally witnessing Hughes become the pitcher we all hoped he'd be.

- Jason Cohen of Pinstriped Bible offered up some sobering analysis on hot prospect Rob Refsynder.  Yes he's hitting the daylights out of the ball, but it's always good to stay grounded with college hitters in A-ball.

- Mike Eder of IIATMS/TYA plotted Andy Pettitte's release points by start to show how big a difference there's been and what the cause(s) might be.

- On Thursday, William Juliano of The Captain's Blog, on the heels of Joe's decision to bat David Phelps 8th the other night, looked back at some past instances of similar lineup moves.

Josh Norris of Minor Matters released a series of scouting report posts on various levels of the Yankee MiL system.  We've got Trenton here, Tampa here, and Charleston here.  Little surprised to read the report on Tyler Austin.

- Steve Lombardi of Was Watching put together a list of other Yankees you probably never thought you'd see at third base.  Bet none of 'em made a play as slick as Vernon Wells the other night.

- On Friday, fishjam25 of Yankees Fans Unite wondered if this year's Yankees are the 2013 version of last year's Orioles.  The team's penchant for winning close games certainly makes it a fair question to ask.

- Bryan Van Dusen of The Greedy Pinstripes approached the Stewart/Romine situation from a different angle, arguing that Romine shouldn't get more PT if Stewart gives the team a better chance to win.

This week's Friday Jam is "Stranglehold" by The Nuge.  Perfect tune to unwind to after work before a big old night of playoff basketball and hockey.



Enjoy your weekends, everybody.

Just Mo Being Mo

Mariano Rivera will return to the scene of last year's shocking season-ending injury tonight when the Yankees play their series opener in Kansas City.  After some initial uncertainty about his future, Mo declared he would be back this season and six weeks into this season it's like he was never injured.  It's pretty much a broken record at this point talking about how great Mo is, but once again this season he has silenced the critics and gone right on doing his thing.

Rivera has appeared in 15 games this season and has pitched 14.1 innings in those games.  He's allowed 15 total baserunners and 3 earned runs, good for a 1.88/2.83 ERA/FIP split.  He's saved 13 of the team's 20 wins in the 13 chances he's had for a save, and the numbers indicate that he hasn't lost anything off his cutter.

Mo is 43 years old, coming off a surgery that would have probably forced most players his age to retire, and he hasn't missed a beat.  The guy is simply incredible and he's been just as big a contributing factor to the team's early success as anybody else, even if he hasn't gotten mentioned nearly as much as others.  It almost makes you want to bring up the question of whether he really should retire again...

Yanks Trade For A Little More Infield Depth

In their efforts to patch up the leaky infield situation, the Yankees made another small trade yesterday, adding Alberto Gonzalez from the Cubs for another PTBNL or cash.  You might remember Gonzalez from his days in the Yankee system from 2007-2008 and not much has changed since then.  He's still a good field/bad hit right-handed utility type who can play all four infield positions if needed.

Gonzalez won't be added to the 40-man roster.  Instead he'll be assigned to Triple-A SWB where he'll serve that utility bench role for the RailRiders and be available for call up if the injury problems continue.  Not a major move by any stretch of the imagination, but with Youkilis and Nunez still hurt, Jayson Nix still being Jayson Nix, and Chris Nelson not providing much in his playing time since being acquired, more depth isn't a bad thing.

Game 33 Wrap-Up: NYY 3 COL 1

("Way to be, Nixey."  Courtesy of Getty Images)

The forecast didn't  look promising for yesterday afternoon's series finale, which didn't help the Yankees' plans to travel to Kansas City for their 3-game weekend set.  They were in good shape for the game with CC Sabathia on the mound, and couldn't afford another rain-out and future make-up game scheduled with Monday's doubleheader already on the horizon.  The weather didn't cooperate enough to allow CC to finish up as strongly as he started, but they did get the game in and the Yanks squeaked out another close win to take the series and rise to the top of the division.

Game Notes:

- As he did the day before, Vernon Wells got the scoring started in the top of the 1st with a 2-out RBI single.  It was a well-manufactured run- Jayson Nix walked, moved to second on a Cano groundout, came around to score on the single.

- CC struggled out of the gate, giving that run back on a leadoff walk, single, and sac fly in the bottom of the 1st.  He then proceeded to sit down the next 10 batters he faced through the 4th inning.

- The offense manufactured another run for him in the top of the 4th on a Chris Nelson double, sac to third, and sac fly by Chris Stewart, and then the rains came.  2 hours and 7 minutes of delay, too much to bring CC back despite how well he was pitching, and the game went to the bullpens.

- Rockies reliever Adam Ottavino was rudely welcomed into the game in the 5th by Robinson Cano, who crushed a hanging 2-0 slider into right for a solo HR and big insurance run.

- It was all hands on deck behind CC and everybody pitched in to hold the lead.  1.2 innings from Adam Warren, a batter from Boone Logan, another scoreless appearance from Preston Claiborne, and the D-Rob and Mo show for the final 2.  Just enough offense, good starting pitching, lockdown bullpen.  That's the Yankee Way right now.

What Phelps Needs To Work On

(Courtesy of Getty Images)

Yesterday, in anticipation of Ivan Nova's likely return (temporary at least) to the rotation, I looked at what he needed to change and improve to stick in the rotation should he get his spot back.  I honestly just assumed that if he was healthy he would be given the spot back upon his return based on the "you shouldn't lose your job for getting hurt" rule, but yesterday's results may have muddied the waters a bit. Nova struggled mightily with his command in his ExST outing, walking 4 batters in 5 IP, while David Phelps looked very good tossing 6 innings of 2-run ball against the Rockies, both runs coming on one mistake pitch. Phelps has performed admirably in his 2 spot starts, better than Nova was, and if there are questions about Nova's command, that could be enough to keep the door open for Phelps.  If the 5th starter competition is unofficially back on, here's what Phelps needs to do to lock it down.

C-Grand To Officially Start His MiL Rehab Assignment Tonight

(The Grandy Man can ... return to the lineup soon?)

From some bad injury news to much better injury news.  Curtis Granderson's rehab work down in Tampa has been picking up steam in the last week and yesterday it got kicked into overdrive with the announcement that he'll start his rehab assignment tonight when he plays for Triple-A SWB.

Donnie Collins, Mr. Everything for the RailRiders, had the details yesterday, and they make it sound like Curtis won't be rehabbing for very long.  According to Collins, C-Grand is scheduled to be with the team "for the next three or four games" before presumably being activated off the DL to re-join the Major League roster.

As of tonight's game, C-Grand's 20-day rehab clock will start ticking, but if the team is only planning to play him in a handful of Triple-A games he could be back with the Yankees within a week or so.  He's not the right-handed bat they desperately need, but he's a significant upgrade to a lineup that could use a lot more length and power right now.  Here's hoping everything goes smooth in these rehab games.