After CC Sabathia’s last start, on June 24, the Yankees held a 2 1/2-game lead for first place in the AL East.
Since then, with their ace on the disabled list due to a left groin strain, the Yankees elevated past the Rangers for the best record in baseball and extended their division lead to eight heading into last night’s game against Toronto.
Tonight, when Sabathia returns to the mound to face the Blue Jays, the standout southpaw just hopes he can fit in.
“Hopefully I just don’t come back and mess it up,” Sabathia said before last night’s game.
Before heading to the DL, Sabathia had won four of his past five decisions and pitched at least seven innings in six straight starts before his last outing, in which he suffered the injury.
The Yankees ace, who is 9-3 with a 3.45 ERA this season, said there are no lingering effects from the injury and he will not need to take any precautions. After only his third-career stint on the DL, Sabathia is treating tonight like any other night.
“I’m going to throw until they tell me to stop,” said Sabathia, who missed two starts. “I feel good. My arm feels good. I haven’t felt my legs since the first week of the injury.
“I think the rest was good for my arm, even more so than my legs. I don’t think I’ll have any limitations on pitches. I’ll be ready to go.”
It is an unusual position for Sabathia, who had not been on the DL since 2006. As one of the most durable starters of the past two decades, Sabathia’s 28 starts with Cleveland in 2006 is the only time he has failed to amass at least 30 starts in a season during his 12-year career.
“I pride myself on trying to make every start and staying healthy through the season,” Sabathia said. “It [stinks]. You feel like you’re not contributing or helping the team. For me it feels a little embarrassing, but it’s just part of the game. I’m healthy now and I’m going to be ready to go out [tonight]. You want to go out and help the team win and when you’re not able to do that, it [stinks].
Having some of the best backups in baseball helped ease some of Sabathia’s helplessness.
“I think this team is built for things like that to happen.,” Sabathia said. “Guys have stepped up. When [Mariano Rivera] went down, [Rafael Soriano] stepped in and did a great job. This is a great team.”
Manager Joe Girardi said he will be watching for Sabathia’s command tonight and looks forward to getting back to the point where that is all he has to focus on.
“It’s always a concern when a pitcher hasn’t pitched in 15 days,” Girardi said. “[Looking for Sabathia] to stay healthy please. We’ll get through the rest.”
The Yankees have done much more than just get through Sabathia’s absence, turning a potentially tenuous division lead into a comfortable margin.
There’s no good time to lose the team’s top pitcher, but Sabathia, who noted that his arm benefitted from the recent rest, realizes that while no one may recall what happens in a season during the middle of summer, the 31-year-old may feel the difference in the fall.
“Hopefully, this will be a blessing in disguise,” Sabathia said.