MILWAUKEE — An MRI of CC Sabathia’s right knee Saturday night didn’t uncover a meniscus tear like it did in 2010 when he required surgery, but the struggling lefty landed on the DL Sunday due to fluid buildup in the hinge.
According to Joe Girardi, Sabathia complained the knee was hurting following Saturday night’s 5-4 loss to the Brewers in which he gave up four runs (one earned) and eight hits — three homers — in 5 1/3 innings. Prior to that, Girardi said, Sabathia told the club he felt discomfort for a pitch here or there but not like Saturday night.
“(Saturday) it got bad and swelled up after the game. There is no meniscus tear, he has fluid on his knee,” Girardi said. “Obviously he will have to have it drained and we will put him on the DL.”
Scheduled to start Thursday against the Mets at Citi Field, Sabathia will likely be replaced by Alfredo Aceves, who has relieved Sabathia in each of his previous two starts.
“He said he didn’t feel it much,” Girardi said when asked if he believed the knee problem affected Sabathia’s pitching, which hasn’t been good. “But (Saturday) night he started throwing balls in the dirt and it was difficult.”
Sabathia, who hasn’t won since April 24, is 3-4 with a 5.28 ERA in eight starts and 0-2 with a 6.43 ERA in his past three starts, in which he has allowed 22 hits in 14 innings. The 10 homers Sabathia has given up lead the AL.
Through three weeks of the season, the Yankees felt very good about their rotation. Sabathia seemingly was comfortable pitching without the mid-90s fastball, Ivan Nova and Michael Pineda were throwing well and Masahiro Tanaka was outstanding.
Nova’s season ended April 19 and he underwent Tommy John surgery. Pineda was suspended for 10 games on April 24 and then suffered a Grade 1 strain of the teres major muscle in the upper right back five days later. When the Yankees put him on the DL, they said it could be “three or four weeks.” Now it appears Pineda will need more time than that.
So, Tanaka and Hiroki Kuroda are fronting a rotation that houses Sunday’s starter David Phelps, Vidal Nuno and likely Aceves.
“If we do it internally, it will be Aceves,’’ said Girardi, who explained Adam Warren, who has developed into a key bullpen piece, isn’t close to being built up to start.
Chances of filling Sabathia’s spot from the outside are long. No team is going to send a white flag signal to its fans by dealing a starting pitcher in mid-May. And even if the Yankees found somebody willing to trade, they don’t have a high-end prospect to give.
“It tests your depth and it stretches you,’’ Girardi said of losing three-fifths of his rotation. “The two guys (Nuno and Phelps) we have brought in so far have done a decent job.”
Right-handed reliever Matt Daley was promoted from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Sunday to take Sabathia’s roster spot.
“We are hoping it will only be 15 days,” Girardi said of Sabathia’s DL stint. “He has to see Dr. (Chris) Ahmad (Monday). There are no meniscus tears, that was what our fear was because that’s what he had in the past. We have to get it to calm down.”