SURROUNDED on the mound by manager Joe Girardi, trainer Steve Donohue and concerned teammates, Joba Chamberlain pointed to a tender spot in the front of his right shoulder – and maybe he was pointing toward the exit to this Yankee season, too.
The discussions that will go on now within the organization are not like the ones that just took place in determining that Dan Giese would replace Darrell Rasner in the rotation. That is one journeyman displacing another.
There is no suitable replacement for Chamberlain if what happened to the righty in Rangers Ballpark last night verges even slightly toward the worst-case scenario. Chamberlain was blossoming into the ace of this team, and losing him for just a start or two would be devastating with just 50 games left and the Yanks a third-place team. Girardi said he expects Chamberlain to miss at least one start.
The Yanks did not trust Ian Kennedy to replace Rasner, so we can assume he is not ready to step in for Joba. The Yanks are not going to speed up the clock on Phil Hughes, who is just now getting to Triple-A and due to make 65 pitches in his next start.
Just the mere whiff that Carl Pavano may be needed again should send him scurrying to an infirmary near you real soon. And what gets through August waivers replaces the Rasners of the world, not a young ace.
The initial word from the Yanks was that Chamberlain had experienced “stiffness” in that precious right shoulder and that he will return to New York today for tests. Later, Girardi and Chamberlain said the problem was lower, near the deltoid area in the front of the upper arm.
The injury coincided with his worst starting effort: just 42/3 innings, two homers and five runs.
Girardi said, “We don’t think it is serious.”
But keep in mind how cautious the Yanks have been with Chamberlain from the Joba Rules last year to a severe innings cap this year that forced him to begin the season in the pen to restrict his workload. So – desperate pennant race or not – you know the Yanks are going to keep Chamberlain off the mound until they are positive he is at no risk.
And even one start just might be too many for the Yanks, who last night began a pivotal, 10-game road trip with a crushing 9-5 loss to Texas. At some point, you reach a tipping point. The Yanks have held on with Opening Day starter Chien-Ming Wang out since mid-June. With Hughes and Kennedy as duds. With Rasner and Sidney Ponson manning the bottom of the rotation. With the offense underachieving and long-term injuries to Hideki Matsui and Jorge Posada. With Mariano Rivera unable to pitch again for a second straight day due to an upper-back ailment. That is why Damaso Marte worked the ninth last night and gave up the game-ending, walk-off grand slam to Marlon Byrd.
Now the Yanks might lose Chamberlain, who is arguably their MVP this year. He was brilliant in the set-up job before beginning his evolution toward the top of the rotation. He went into last night with a string of five straight quality starts in which he had a 2.27 ERA and 35 strikeouts against six walks. Before last night, the Yanks were 23-8 when he pitched, 38-42 when he didn’t.
A year ago this week, Chamberlain arrived to the Yankees’ pen to save their season. Fifty-two weeks later, he might have to depart the rotation. That very well could kill this Yankee season.