ARLINGTON, Texas — Boone Logan won’t be the only left-hander in the Yankees’ bullpen tonight.
CC Sabathia said yesterday he will be available to pitch in relief in Game 6 of the AL Championship Series against the Rangers if needed. The big man will not throw his usual between-starts bullpen session today, opting instead to save his bullets for game action if starter Phil Hughes falters.
Sabathia said he thinks he could throw about 50 pitches. If he does not pitch tonight and the Yankees win, he would be able to pitch tomorrow night in Game 7 in the same role.
“Our plan is he’s available [in Game 6],” manager Joe Girardi said. “Let’s see how he feels [tonight], but our plan is that he will be available for us.”
Sabathia never has pitched in relief in his professional career. He already has started two games in this series, pitching poorly in Game 1, but rebounding to win Game 5 on Wednesday.
This wouldn’t be the first time Sabathia did something extra for his team in the postseason. Sabathia pitched twice last year in the playoffs on three days’ rest for the Yankees. In 2008, he pitched on short rest three times in September to help the Brewers make the playoffs, then made his one playoff start that year on short rest.
Sabathia has carried a heavy workload over the last four years. He pitched 237 2/3 innings in this regular season, and 16 so far in the postseason. That came after the 266 1/3 he pitched in 2009 for the Yankees, the 256 2/3 he pitched for the Indians and Brewers in 2008 and the 256 1/3 he pitched in 2007 for the Indians. You have to wonder how long his arm can hold up.
In this elimination game, the Yankees will have all hands on deck. A.J. Burnett also will be available out of the bullpen after pitching Game 4 on Tuesday night. Burnett played catch yesterday to keep his arm fresh if needed.
Additional reporting
by
George A. King III
and Joel Sherman