The Yankees were a beaten and battered team after they lost to the Tigers in the ALCS.
And with Alex Rodriguez out until at least July with a hip injury, Mariano Rivera still not 100 percent after his ACL injury and Derek Jeter having yet to test his surgically repaired ankle, the Bombers will be facing plenty of health questions to start the 2013 season, as well.
The good news, though, is CC Sabathia has pronounced himself healthy following his arthroscopic surgery on his left elbow in October.
“My elbow is feeling good,” Sabathia said yesterday on ESPN. “I just started throwing on Monday. That’s the time I would normally start my throwing program, and I’ll be ready to lengthen it out and be ready to go for spring training.”
As he did a year ago, Sabathia spent the offseason trying to shed some weight.
“I lost a little bit of weight,” Sabathia said. “Twenty pounds. Coming off the elbow surgery, I just wanted to be able to be healthy and stay healthy all year.”
Sabathia wasn’t able to do that last season, when he put some weight back on and wound up on the disabled list twice.
The 32-year-old left-hander still managed to throw at least 200 innings for the sixth straight year and pitched brilliantly against the Orioles in the ALDS before faltering versus Detroit.
He is optimistic that despite the age of their current roster, the Yankees will be able to contend this season.
“I don’t think we’re too old,” the lefty said. “We’re definitely an older team … [but] we have guys who work really hard. Jeter, Rivera, [Andy] Pettitte, these guys, they work. It’s not by accident they’re some of the greatest players who ever played. ”
Sabathia spent yesterday trying to win a fan vote and get himself on the cover of Sony’s “MLB 13: The Show’’ video game.
He is not concerned that on top of the aforementioned veterans coming off serious injuries, the team’s offseason has primarily been filled with resigning other aging players like Hiroki Kuroda and Ichiro Suzuki, as well as adding Kevin Youkilis, who is 34.
“I think we have the guys,” Sabathia said.