TORONTO — A lot has been made of how much Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia can contribute to the Yankees in the final 11 weeks of the season.
Watching the veteran right-handers pitch Thursday and Friday against the Blue Jays has people inside the organization believing the Yankees have to get an elite starter before the July 31 trade deadline.
Yet, Phil Hughes is just as big of a question mark due to ineffectiveness, an arm problem and not being very good in his first start after coming off the disabled list.
Today at Rogers Centre, Hughes makes his second start since spending close to three months on the shelf with right shoulder inflammation. And a lot has happened since the July 6 outing against the Indians in Cleveland when Hughes gave up two runs, six hits, walked two and hit two batters in five innings of a 5-3 loss.
First, he has altered his lower-body mechanics. Second, he has changed the grip on his curveball to get more power into it.
“It’s really not changing, it’s more going back to the way he threw the ball last year when he was on top of his game and the year before when he was in relief,” pitching coach Larry Rothschild said of the mechanical adjustment designed to open Hughes’ hips more.
“I’m more aligned, not as closed as I was,” said Hughes, who will be working on nine days rest. “It helps get my hips through.”
As for the breaking ball, he has removed the spiked index finger with the hope the curveball has more velocity.
Though it’s odd to make changes like that in the middle of a season, Hughes was searching for something to get him going after the Cleveland game.
“I don’t want the first-inning hiccup,” said Hughes, who gave up two runs and three hits to the Indians in his first frame after being activated. “I have to command my fastball better, have better life and control my pitch count better.”
Prior to going on the DL with what originally was described as the dreaded “dead arm syndrome,” Hughes was 0-2 with a 13.94 ERA and a fastball that was being measured at 88 to 89 mph.
Though his velocity increased to 92-93 against the Indians, he didn’t get any swings and misses with his four-seam heater.
Making Hughes’ outing today more important is that the Yankees sent eight-game winner Ivan Nova, who was 4-0 in his last five starts, to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre to make room for Hughes.
Because Hughes pitched so well out of the bullpen in 2009, he could have been put in the bullpen. But according to general manager Brian Cashman, that wasn’t an option.