The Yankees are in simultaneous races against the AL East and time.
They are trying to be both relentless and pragmatic in pursuing a division title. They do not want to let up, even with a large lead. Yet, they don’t want to be so myopic they impair their overall quest — October dominance — by over-emphasizing today.
That is why they put CC Sabathia on the disabled list with elbow inflammation when that was not a no-doubt move. It is why Mark Teixeira will be shut down with an inflamed wrist as long as necessary “to do what it takes to try to get him healthy,” manager Joe Girardi said. And it is why they are moving forward cautiously with the rehabs of Andy Pettitte (ankle) and Alex Rodriguez (hand).
If the Yankees were feeling intense pressure for the AL East lead, maybe the prioritizing would be different. But even after yesterday’s 4-1 loss to Boston, the Yankees were viewed as having an 85.6 percent chance of winning the division by Coolstandings.com, which runs thousands of simulations of the schedule to produce its results.
Now, the team across the field yesterday, the Red Sox, could tell the Yankees quite a bit about assuming any playoff spot is locked up based on a historic September collapse last year. Still, 88 percent to win the division and 98.1 percent to simply get into the playoffs provides the Yankees impetus to try to be as physically fit as possible for October.
Of course, this is where the battle against time comes in. Because even a slow-and-steady process does not promise the Yankees will get perhaps their two most important starters and their corner infielders back in full for Game 1 of the playoffs.
General manager Brian Cashman has firmly stated Mariano Rivera will not beat the clock to return from knee surgery this year. That is why Girardi said, “I don’t know where we would be without [Rafael] Soriano.”
Soriano’s excellence as a fill-in closer symbolizes how well the Yankees have done what the Red Sox have not — having capable supplementary pieces and a sturdy clubhouse culture to weather injuries. The reawakening of Freddy Garcia, excellence of Hiroki Kuroda and emergence of David Phelps has enabled the rotation to withstand the sustained loss of Pettitte and now two disabled list stints from Sabathia.
Eric Chavez’s renaissance — with an assist from Jayson Nix and Casey McGehee — has supplied a more-than-adequate replacement for A-Rod. And the ability to move the suddenly-on-fire Nick Swisher to first base gives the Yankees a way to compensate for Teixeira’s absence.
Still, these are bandages, not the ideal setup for the playoffs. The Yankees, after all, look a heck of a lot different going into a postseason series with Sabathia, Kuroda and Pettitte as their front three starters rather than Kuroda, Phil Hughes and Ivan Nova. Even diminished from his prime, Rodriguez still gives the Yankees lineup better righty-lefty balance and presence. And Teixeira’s switch-hitting bat, RBI penchant and high-end glove are all elements the Yankees want daily for their biggest games.
At this moment, the Yankees believe they will have each of those players back. But the calendar is at such a place that any setbacks could alter that perception. Sabathia threw a bullpen yesterday and vowed he is starting Friday in Cleveland, his first day eligible to come off the DL. Sabathia, though, has now been on the DL as many times this season as in the rest of his career combined, so there is greater fragility here than ever.
Pettitte already has suffered what the team believes is a one-week setback because he had pushed too hard to return quickly. He is throwing on flat ground again, promising not to try to rush anymore because he understands what another setback could cost.
Rodriguez is due for an X-ray today. If the healing has progressed, he can begin intensifying his workouts toward a return. And then there is Teixeira, who missed his second straight game after re-aggravating a wrist injury that cost him two games a few weeks back. The recurrence moved Girardi to concede, “I’m a little concerned if [the wrist] is ever going to get to 100 percent.” He said the Yankees were willing to wait a week or even two, if necessary, to get Teixeira right.
But the fact the injury has returned made this a “red flag” for Girardi — mainly because the manager knows the Rays, Orioles, Red Sox and Blue Jays are not the only opponents at this time of year. Tick tock. The schedule is running out, which means the time to heal gets smaller and smaller.