CC Sabathia is expected to be in The Bronx on Sunday, but Yankees manager Joe Girardi has no idea when the lefty will be able to return to the mound. Girardi said he does not believe Sabathia will be ready to return when he is eligible to come off the disabled list next week following the stem cell and cortisone injection he received in his bothersome right knee.
“I would be kind of shocked,” Girardi said before the Yankees beat the Pirates, 7-1 at The Stadium. “None of us really know [how long he will be out]… There’s not a lot of history on this.”
Sabathia had fluid drained from the knee and was found to have cartilage degeneration after visiting Dr. James Andrews and is using crutches, something Girardi thinks will change by Monday.
“They just don’t want any weight on it,” Girardi said. “My guess is we’ll evaluate him Monday or Tuesday and see where we’re at.”
There could be considerable guesswork when it comes to Sabathia, given the limited information available on the procedure.
“We don’t have lot of history with this and how long it’s gonna take,” Girardi said.
In the meantime, Chase Whitley will remain in the rotation “as of now,” according to Girardi.
- Jacoby Ellsbury was scratched from the game with flu-like symptoms. Brett Gardner replaced Ellsbury in center and Zoilo Almonte was inserted into the lineup.
- Ichiro Suzuki’s sore back has improved and he was able to come to come in as a defensive replacement in the ninth.
- The Yankees plan on Michael Pineda throwing around 25 pitches in another bullpen session Sunday. If that goes well, he could head to Tampa to accelerate his comeback from an injured right shoulder muscle. “It’s really encouraging,” Girardi said of the fact Pineda got through his first session on Friday with no problems. “Obviously, as the intensity heats up a little bit, you pay attention to how he’s doing, but so far, he’s had no setbacks and he’s doing well.”
- Hiroki Kuroda will start the first game of Sunday’s doubleheader, with Vidal Nuno going in the second game, after Girardi checked in with Kuroda. He will do the same with Derek Jeter, who will almost certainly only play one of the two games.
- Girardi said Carlos Beltran’s inflamed right elbow feels a little better, but the Yankees continue to wait to determine whether surgery will be necessary on the bone spur that landed him on the DL Shawn Kelley (back) will play catch Monday.
- Girardi said he had “no problem” with Brian McCann bunting against the shift in the first. “He’s had some hits [doing that],” Girardi said. “If they’re gonna hive him that and you’ve got people behind you who can hit ball out of ballpark behind you.”