During his postgame interview with Kim Jones, Joe Girardi fielded a question about Joba’s throwing a career-high 35 pitches tonight. His response: “The process has started.” That process, of course, is turning Joba from a reliever back into a starter. Girardi, in announcing one of the more significant in-season moves the Yanks will make this year, was very matter-of-fact about it. So here it goes…
Update: Courtesy of Mike’s DVR, we have a transcript:
Kim Jones: What are we to read into it, Joe, that Joba pitches two innings and it looked like he started the ninth with a couple of change-ups?
Joe Girardi: Well, the process has started converting Joba to a starter, and tonight was the first [time] extending him a little bit, and we’ll continue to do it and get him up to where he can throw enough pitches.