TAMPA —Â A month drying out in a Connecticut alcohol rehabilitation facility was needed for CC Sabathia to stop the binge drinking that forced him to leave the Yankees at the start of the postseason and seek help.
An elastic brace on his inflamed right knee resulted in four solid starts to end 2015 and send the large lefty to rehab believing he had found something to stabilize the hinge that landed him on the DL late in the season.
Each situation makes for compelling stories, but underlining the battle against booze and the help from the knee brace is this simple fact: The Yankees need Sabathia more than ever.
He doesn’t have to be the ace who went 59-23 with a 3.53 ERA in 101 regular-season starts for the Yankees from 2009 through 2011. Yet, the Yankees’ rotation, which is littered with question marks one through six, requires Sabathia be better than the pitcher who has gone 23-28 with a 4.88 ERA in 70 games since he was shelled in Game 4 of the 2012 ALCS by the Tigers.
“This is the most anticipated spring training I have been in a long time,’’ said Sabathia, who was 6-10 with a 4.73 ERA in 29 starts last year, but 2-1 with a 2.22 ERA across the final four outings using a brace similar to the one Carlos Beltran wears. “I have been looking forward to being down here and being with the guys.’’
Even considering the previous three years, it’s hard to believe that Sabathia won’t be part of Joe Girardi’s rotation. One, he is being paid $25 million this season. Two, Sabathia has pitched in 452 big league games and never in relief (of his 19 postseason appearances, one has been out of the pen).
Yet, there are six arms vying for five spots, and anything is possible.
“In an ideal situation, I want the best five starters from the group of six,’’ GM Brian Cashman said Friday, when the first official spring training workout for pitchers and catchers was held at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
“With all the good pitchers we have, you have to earn your spot,’’ said Sabathia, who will be 36 in July. “I am not going to treat spring training like the regular season and beat myself up about starts and things, but I definitely want to go out and pitch well and go off the momentum I had last year.’’
If healthy, and he hasn’t been able to work a full schedule in the first two years as a Yankee, Masahiro Tanaka is the Yankees’ ace. Michael Pineda and Nathan Eovaldi battled injuries last year, but at this point have more electric stuff than Sabathia does. Eventually, Luis Severino could develop into the Yankees’ best pitcher, but that day isn’t coming quickly because he has made 11 big league starts. It would be an upset if the fifth rotation spot goes to Ivan Nova over Sabathia.
As for the daily battle to stay sober, Sabathia said he has a sponsor he stays in touch with via the phone and has the full support of the Yankees.
“Alcohol is a daily challenge. You do realize it’s a daily challenge, a daily battle,’’ Cashman said of Sabathia’s fight to remain sober. “I believe in CC, and we are there as an organization to the best of our abilities to support him. I know he is taking it very seriously.’’
Additional reporting by Joel Sherman