The Yankees’ strongest unit managed to avoid the carnage that hit other areas until Thursday when Joba Chamberlain was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right oblique muscle.
Healthy after a 2012 season in which he came back from Tommy John surgery and a fractured ankle, Chamberlain’s velocity was in the high 90s, the slider was sharp and the right-hander had settled into the seventh-inning arm. Yet, Wednesday, Chamberlain arrived at Yankee Stadium complaining of discomfort in the right abdomen.
After treatment Wednesday, Chamberlain was ruled out of that night’s 5-4 win over the Astros, and he was scheduled for tests Thursday.
“The scan showed he has a mild oblique strain so we are going to put him on the DL,’’ general manager Brian Cashman said.
According to Cashman, Chamberlain suffered the injury warming up in the bullpen Tuesday night. He wasn’t used in that 7-4 victory and hasn’t pitched since Saturday.
The move was back-dated to April 28, but Cashman isn’t convinced Chamberlain is going to be ready May 14, which is the first day he is eligible.
“We are hoping it’s two weeks but you can’t predict,’’ Cashman said. “It’s possible it could resolve in two weeks, but I can’t guarantee it. Joba is a pretty miraculous healer more so than anybody I have seen. But when he gets hurt he bounces back pretty quick. At the very least we are going to take the safe route and put it behind us.’’
Cashman said Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre right-handed relievers Mark Montgomery, Preston Claiborne and Sam Demel have been discussed as Chamberlain’s replacement. None is on the 40-man roster.
The GM said lefty reliever Clay Rapada isn’t in the mix; nor is Chien-Ming Wang, who is working as a starter for SWB.
* For now, the Yankees avoided another hit to the pen. David Robertson limped off the mound in the eighth inning Wednesday night and said afterward the left hamstring “was a little tight.’’ Yesterday, he underwent tests.
“He is day to day,’’ Cashman said. “He is not a DL situation.’’
* Cashman said infielder Chris Nelson, who was acquired from the Rockies Wednesday night, provides manager Joe Girardi with options if he wants to rest Jayson Nix at third or Robinson Cano at second.
“We have been running Jayson Nix out there every day and Cano out there every day. He gives us a chance to make sure we take the pedal off the metal on Nixy a little bit and maybe Cano a little bit,’’ Cashman said of the right-handed hitting Nelson