Jul
18
Pettitte could be out 4-5 weeks
ByVia Erik Boland, GM Brian Cashman says that he expects Andy Pettitte to be out four to five weeks with a left groin strain. Sergio Mitre will take his place in the rotation. Obviously, this is less than ideal news, and may impact how the Yankees approach next week’s trade deadline. With a rehab assignment and what not, it’s possible Andy might not be back until September. Yikes.
Sadly, this means the Chad Ho Moseley monster will stick around that much longer.
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damn you Jack Z for screwing the Yanks over.
/could had Cliff Lee’d
But the Yankees didnt need Cliff Lee!!!!
yeah I know. it was just scarasm. =)
But the Yankees didn’t need to give away our best hitting prospect for a 3 month rental of someone we’re going to get after the season anyway for pure cash.
Is a more accurate assessment of what people were saying. Correctly.
This. So much.
I will say, right now, I am still completely happy and that we didn’t get Cliff Lee, and still wouldn’t want him if it means trading Montero.
That.
Every team that’s contending could really use Cliff Lee, he rules. It’s really bad that this happened so soon after that trade fell through, and I actually wouldn’t have minded as horribly as some here if it hadn’t. But I’m glad Jesus is going to be around instead of getting traded for a guy we’re gonna get for just money this offseason.
That is unless Pettitte’s injury encourages the Yankees to now move Montero for another pitcher. I hope not. We have a seven-game lead over the Sox for the Wild Card. They can hold that until Andy returns.
Ugh, I hope they’re just being conservative. ;_;
FWIW he missed like two weeks with a Grade 1 groin strain in 2001.
Good call. I was just thinking that Granderson had a Grade 2 and could barely walk off the field. Andy just kind of flexed and stretched today and he looked fine. Obviously, groin strains are a “nagging” injury and I’m sure the Yankees know what’s best, but it’s hard to believe they’re not being ultra conservative here.
Andy was saying on the post game that his style of delivery puts “a lot of torque on that area” so chances are they will go slow with him. That being said, 4-5 weeks sounds like a lot. Grandy had a grade 2 strain and was out that long, Andy’s is a Grade 1.
Granderson is 29, Andy is 38, you just don’t recover as fast when you are older.
Good point, but Andy is also required to do less running as a Pitcher. He said on the postgame that if this was the playoffs, he wouldn’t miss a start.
Andy always downplays his injuries…like Jeter. I never put too much stock into how he says he feels as weird as that sounds. I think he absolutely would miss a start.
I don’t.
He might not miss a start… but he might pitch like shit. A position player can gut out a minor/nagging injury. Not so with a pitcher.
Everyone, stop saying 38 is old because, well, ummm, I’m older than that. Oppps, I just pulled a muscle in my finger typing.
It’s not old IRL. It’s old for baseball, especially pitching.
We’ll pick up a starter. I don’t know who, but will definitely get someone for the rotation.
I have an idea. Chad Gaudin.
Lets bring back Jorge De Paula while we’re at it…
Now that’s a throwback.
If they pick a semi-good starter and Andy returns in September, I think that would allow them to send Hughes to the pen to cap his innings.
I cant imagine them getting more than a scrap, in which case we have some better candidates in Mitre/Nova/Sanchez assuming AJ mans up a little bit.
AJ Burnett needs to step it the hell up now. The Yankees can live with Mitre/Moseley/Gaudin/Nova as a 5th starter if he can get on a hot streak for a few starts.
Everybody needs to step up. CC, AJ, Javy and of course Hughes.
Hughes Hughes Hughes . . . . . . how does this affect his innings limits? If at all?
I don’t see how it will. They’ll plug someone into Andy’s spot and it’ll be business as usual. I don’t see how the Yankees would risk injury to Hughes and deviate from any plan because of this.
Can’t afford to skip him with AJ and Andy on the shelf, even with Mitre filling in. We’ll see if AJ makes his next start or not.
Yeah the big question mark at this point is AJ and his status.
AJ will be fine to make his next start.
Will he have a non shitty start though?
Maybe we could just have Joba start and stretch him out over the next few weeks? You know, like we did last year!
(ducks)
::Media’s heads explode::
I would enjoy this scenario literally for that reason alone. Well maybe not alone, but that would be my primary reason for enjoying that scenario.
I wouldn’t mind seeing that.
I hope they don’t trade for a number five starter just to make a trade. If you’re going to go with a poor quality pitcher, you might as well just let Mitre run with it
co-sign
What if Sheets/Guthrie/Millwood/etc could be had for cheap?
Meh, I think we can piece together a month’s worth of starts with Mitre.
I remember only too well how painful that’s been to watch in the past. Then again, I wouldn’t want any of the pitchers above making those starts either. The slight upgrade (if any) they offer isn’t worth it.
What about Jake Westbrook?
That’s actually an intresting name. He probaly could be had for cheap considering it’s Cleveland.
What about Ted Lilly. The Cubbies are cooked already.
Lilly is tough and wants to pitch in NY and for the Yankees. Didn’t we pass on him for American Idle? If they could pick him up for a reasonable price, I’d go for it.
For cheap Sheets or Guthrie would be nice but I don’t see Guthrie being cheap because he’s in our division and I don’t see Sheets being cheap because Beane has him.
I kind of do like Ricky Nolasco from the Marlins. Nolasco was one of Girardi’s former starters, he’s been decent. oh, and he pitched under Mike Harkey’s wings too.
Ugh I would love Nolasco but they’re gonna ask for too much.
Yeah isn’t he their third starter? They don’t have any reason to give him up so he won’t come cheap IMO.
Nolasco is a name I like because he’s not a scrub that Nova/Mitre could out pitch and he’s not a overpayed veteran like Oswalt. However I just don’t see the Yankees getting a starter that would require them to give up good talent unless he was an Ace.
Cliff Lee was the one special case as far as going after a starter so I think it’s Mitre as the #5 and a lot of prayer that Andy can recover quickly.
The offense should be able to get hot and carry us through some middling starts.
Wow this is bad. Has Moose kept in shape?
Who’s available for a Nunez/Adams led package?
Sidney Ponson might be available.
/hides
Oh God help us. It is about time to go back to the Ponson well too. Every two years we pretend it might work.
Why not give Nova a chance.
Cashman is so anti-Omar Minaya. When Cashman’s ultra conservative estimate is 4-5 weeks, you can assume its 2-3 weeks.
The next two starts for this spot in the rotation are against KC and Cleveland. Should be able to get by.
That’s actually a very good point. This might not be so bad. And it could keep Pettitte fresh for October.
Bexy, you know what to do…
Like I said, if he needs any help with groin-stretching-related issues, I’m here for him. Takin’ one for the team. Tough job, but somebody’s gotta do it.
jesus, I was thinking more along the lines of getting his groceries and what not, making sure he doesn’t hurt himself. Get your mind out of the gutter woman, he’s married
I’d do that too. I’m not a complainer.
My hero.
PERVERT!
Two words-
Kei Igawa.
All time wins leader in Scranton Wilkes-Barres history.
Two Words-
Lefty Reliever.
Has some pretty decent first inning stats in the Majors, but then again, lefties still hit him better than righties. Also, there is obviously there is a Small Sample Size warning. But hey, even Boone Logan got a shot. . . .
They don’t like having Kei as their all time wins leader, he just recently got in a game for the first time in 3 weeks, sad. I wanted him to do well but he just doesn’t have it.
This comment whooshed some people.
Ah, Whooshed. Not dissimilar from the sound baseballs made on their way out of the park when Mr. Igawa was pitching.
Hahaha. IETC.
*golf clap*
Bravo, well played sir.
My vote is to send Ivan Nova or Zach McAllister out there. Nova showed some good stuff in his very short stint earlier in the season, and McAllister is actually a pretty good pitching prospect. Maybe, just maybe, we can get a couple quality outings (6 IP, 3 ER) out of one of them.
Best case scenario, they string together a few good starts and boost their trade value for this offseason.
Worst case scenario, they’re as bad as we know that Dustin Mosley, Chad Gaudin, and Sergio Mitre will be.
I wouldn’t mind that either. I really think the worst thing they could do would be to trade for someone that bad when they have all these in house options that could do the same thing
Agreed.
Time to let Z-Mac and/or Super-Nova show what they’ve got on the big league level.
McAllister hasn’t earned a call-up. I’d go with Nova or Mitre. Preferably Nova because I want to see what he can do.
True, he hasn’t earned it.
But we’re not really in a “who earned a call-up” mode right now. We’re in, “who can we catch lighting in a bottle with” mode right now. And I like that he throws strikes and gets grounders a plenty, he’s exactly the kind of guy who could have one of those Aaron Small or Shawn Chacon-esque second half performances that we need right now.
It’s a gamble. But I’m feeling lucky. Well kinda. Ok, not really. But I still have a gut feeling that he could be exactly what we need right now.
Yeah, I understand what you’re saying, but rational belief would say it’s highly unlikely McAllister gets a call because of his struggles in Triple-A.
Nova is the more realistic option because he’s performed well.
Yea, we know what Mitre is, just give Nora the chance
I think Mitre gets the first crack at it (although someone mentioned he’s not quite stretched out yet). Unless he really, really falters and can’t get on track then I think they’ll look to Nova. I can’t see Gaudin/Moseley getting any starts. I think Girardi will keep them for the bullpen.
Well Cashman already said Mitre will take Andy’s next turn so I guess like you said they will see if he falters or not before going to Nova or someone else.
Where’s Aaron Small playing these days???lol.
Old Timers Day
I think it will be longer because four weeks would mean he would pitch on that awful turf in Toronto. I might try for August 30th against Oakland (This way he does not pitch on the turf against Tampa).
I think that would affect the IFers more than Pitchers.
Yeah. I’ve never heard of that stuff affecting pitchers.
Pitchers are on a mound of dirt. Basically the same hardness no matter what the stadium.
If I’m Brian Cashman, this is what I do:
Tomorrow: DL Andy Pettitte, DFA Dustin Moseley, and demote Colin Curtis and Juan Miranda. Purchase the contracts of Jorge Vazquez and Chad Tracy, call-up Jonathan Albaladejo, and activate Sergio Mitre, who will pitch in relief. (Tracy can play 1B, 3B, LF, and RF, when they need a CF they can move Gardner there.)
Skip Andy Petttitte’s spot in the rotation (they can with the off-day).
When Pettitte’s next turn comes up, demote Logan and call-up Ivan Nova to start.
*And transfer Aceves to the 60-day DL.
They can’t skip Andy’s next turn because of the off day.
they could, however, skip Hughes, which would kill two birds with one stone.
Tracy hasn’t played the OF since 2005
Juan Miranda > Jorge Vazquez. That move makes no sense.
Whoops refresh fail. What she said.
Why the hell would they have Jorge Vazquez take Juan Miranda’s spot? Isn’t that a downgrade?
Would the Yanks have any in interest in Brian Bannister like they did last season? Or maybe Ted Lilly. I love Ted Lilly.
Nunez, McAllister, and another prospect good enough?
I like Lilly a lot as well but he’s down several MPH this season and that might not bode well for a return to the AL East. If the price isn’t exorbitant for Westbrook, I’d take a flyer on him.
I don’t want Westbrook. His ERA is like 5 in the AL Central. I would look into getting Lilly. If not Lilly, I don’t know who.
Westbrook: 4.67 ERA, 4.56 FIP, 4.34 xFIP
Lilly: 4.07 ERA, 4.70 FIP, 4.62 xFIP
And Westbrook pitches in the AL.
I have always liked Lilly but his velocity is down to like 86 this year I would beconcerned about bringing him to the big boy league and division.
I didn’t know it dropped that low. Wow.
MARK PRIOR!
PEDRO!!!!!
Could you imagine Posada catching Pedro?
No but it’d be hilarious.
Ted Lilly has pitched 8 years in the “big boy league” and 6 in the “big boy division.”
Has is the key word. He is not the same pitcher now.
oh crap.
The injury to Pettitte should not stop the Yankees from cutting their losses with Gaudin or Park. I like Mosely as a long reliever and just think he was left out there too long. Park and Gaudin are useless.
no sense in firing the mop-up crew until we have a better option, if they don’t pick it up in the coming week or two i’d like to see zrom and alb come up and take a crack at it
if we didn’t have CC, AJ, vazquez, and hughes i would be very concerned right now
Bummer!!!!
Brett Myers anyone?
Can’t imagine the Yanks would be willing to pay the price for him. Phils wont give him away in the midst of their own race.
He’s with Houston, now. Probably just McAllister and Nunez for him or something like that.
wow, totally spaced. good call.
oswalt
lee
I like this game where we post the names of pitchers who are, or where at one time, aces that were still pitching and are now in their 30s. And with the first letter uncapitalized.
David Wells.
Whoops, I made a typoe (though you would’ve lost anyway). I said “were” still pitching. I meant “are” still pitching.
Plus, you didn’t make the first letter of his name lowercase.
Damn. Sorry. david wells.
No longer pitching, my man.
garland
millwood
no, the difference here is that Oswalt is tied into a bigger contract and wants out while the Astros are basically lost (both in terms of current situation and actually knowing what to do going foward) , so he’s closer to a Bobby Abreu situation than Cliff Lee was that’s for sure.
There’s at least a chance that we can land Oswalt south of Jesus Montero which is something we should explore at least.
oswald
Let Nova get his chance. Throw some shit at the wall and see what sticks. We know what we have with Gaudin and Mitre. Give the kid the ball.
Or just call up Adam Warren.
[Everyone's ducking so I will too ]
I hope that’s what they’ll do. I like Nova a lot.
I would essentially tread water until they got Andy back. This team is good enough to win no matter who they have to replace during the regular reason, With one exception: Mariano Rivera.
LOL, “Chad Ho Moseley Monster” made me laugh so hard.
I’m trying to think outside the box. So what about …
MIKE GONZALEZ, reliever – Baltimore Orioles
He’s been hurt the whole season, but is due to rejoin the Orioles within the week I believe. Gonzalez walks at the end of the year, so perhaps the Os are in SELL mode and would be willing to part with M. Gonzalez and the remainder of his 3 million salary. Gonzalez has already logged minor league innings and i’m unaware of any setback.
M. Gonzalez could be a big step towards fixing the Yankees pen.
and then stretch Joba back into the rotation right?
Uhhh. What? NO WAY. Why would the Yankees want to do that at this point in the season? Any Joba-as-starter return would have to be done during the off-season , and even then I wouldn’t be surprised to see Noesi, Phelps, or Nova beat Joba out for a rotation spot … should the Yankees even go internal.
sarcasm homes
Sorry man. I’m a bit wired right now. Had to go in to work at a RIDICULOUS afternoon hour.
So yeah … Joba. He’s kinda not the solution to anything these days.
Mike Gonzalez signed a 2-yr $12 million contract this season with the O’s so he would still be owed $6 million next year. No deal Howie.
park is a starter, might work
No it will not work, he was hammered as a SP last year
i would rather the yankees pick a random fan out of the stands to pitch than let park start
Most likely not going to happen. They still want to get him going in the pen, which he has a far better chance of doing than figuring out how to start again.
And Mitre should be able to hold the fort down for 3-4 starts.
At least Andy’s Elbow will be well rested for September….
Yep. Could be good news. Boston is banged up. Tampa is kinda hot but they’ll cool off. Hughes AJ and Javy will step up.
Yea. Yanks just took two of three against the Rays when two of our starting pitchers left in the 3rd inning.
Boston is going to have their full 12-man staff next week. If we’re going to win the division it won’t be because of the shortcomings of Boston and Tampa.
compared to us, though, Bos and TB have many shortcomings
hiyoo?
FWIW.
http://twitter.com/injuryexpert/status/18876276574
Have to have some hope somewhere?
Apparently the Cubs would want a catcher in exchange for Ted Lilly. They have been asking about Wilson Ramos from the Twins and Josh Thole from the Mets so they would obviously want Jesus Montero. Brian Cashman should just laugh and hang up on the Cubs if that conversation takes place.
http://cubbiescrib.com/2010/07.....ted-lilly/
Please if we offer to take Lilly’s salary and give them a B prospect and a C prospect Hendry should give us Lilly. If Hendry asks for Montero Cashman should laugh, say next time you win the world series you can have Montero…then hang up.
We could send them Chad Moeller. : -)
What about Phelps? Had a very good start today… 1 run, 10 k’s over 6 innings. could he be a candidate to start, or is he not ready yet?
Why in the world would you rush him to the majors, that is a 2007 “oh lord we have no pitchers” move.
Hmmm Phelps struck out 10 while allowing one run in six innings today. Most importantly, zero walks. Also, he’s on the same schedule as Pettitte currently. That’s my vote
Why would Cashman release an exceedingly cautious estimate on Pettitte’s return while possibly looking for another starter on the trade market? Trading partners might think him more desperate if he has a 4-5 week hole to fill rather than a 15-day DL hole. Maybe that’s an indication he does not intend to trade for a starter.
As for who in-house should make Pettitte’s starts if no trade is made, Nova would be fine, but I’d rather see Noesi or Phelps, who have better peripherals.
lets see what Phelps has, hes been the most impressive.
Part of me is saying disaster but the other is remembering that #4 and #5 during the stretch last yr was a shitty joba and gaudin.
http://media.photobucket.com/i.....y_Dust.jpg
DON’T PANIC
-The Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Page 1
Exactly. Teams are supposed to get through adversity. Mitre would probably be in a lesser team’s rotation. As a #6 for the Yanks, he’s not a bad option, especially if the first two starts are against KC and Cleveland.
Stay the course. Would love to see Nova in there as well if Mitre struggles. I’m curious if Nova could handle the #5 slot next year.
it would pretty awesome to get to see phelps im not gonna lie
or nova:)
Why would Phelps be awesome? He’s pitched like 18 innings at AAA. I feel like most of the people recommending Phelps (not you specifically) didn’t know who he was like a month ago.
Compare Noesi or Phelps in AA to what Nova did in AA just last year. They both have much better WHIP and SO/BB. If the Yankee brass trusts their heads to deal with a MLB start, I would favor that over Nova’s AAA experience. But I can also see the other side of the argument, stating that Nova’s 170 innings in AAA might have prepared him better for a big league start.
I just hope they give at least one of the 3 a shot while Pettitte is out.
You can’t just look at numbers for minor league pitchers.
Phelps is a polished college guy who is destroying the minors, his secondary stuff needs work. Pitchers in that mold are not uncommon (you may have seen one or six of them pitch for the Yankees in 2007-2008) although he is a pretty decent prospect at that point.
Noesi is like an Aceves type and could probably do okay but rushing him would be pretty silly. Average stuff, no plus pitch,
Nova has better stuff than either though his command is not as good. He is the best candidate because of his stuff and it would not be rushing his development as a pitcher.
Heres what I would do. Recall Sergio Mitre. Demote Boone Logan. Recall Jonathan Albaladejo. DFA Chan Ho Park. Promote Romulo Sanchez. DFA Chad Gaudin. When Pettitte’s turn comes up again, Recall Ivan Nova, DFA Dustin Mosley.
That way, the only question in that bullpen is Joba. Romulo has to be able to handle 1 inning, right?. Move Alby to the setup role. Joba can be a middle reliever, and occasionally go 2 innings, depending on if the unlikely occurs and “Good Joba” decides to show up that night. Robertson can go 1 or 2 innings, and Sergio Mitre can be a long man. Let Romulo and Joba duke it out and loser goes to Scranton when Marte returns.
Point by point:
Recall Sergio Mitre.
That’s going to happen Tuesday regardless when his DL stint is over. Probably get flip-flopped for Andy. I agree, though.
Demote Boone Logan.
Not while Marte is out; we want at least one lefty in the pen. Besides, Logan’s actually pitching fairly effectively at the moment.
Recall Jonathan Albaladejo.
No argument there.
DFA Chan Ho Park.
No, that’s a move just to make a move. And like Logan, Park’s showing green shoots of improvement.
Promote Romulo Sanchez.
Not with Romulo’s current walk rate. Albaladejo is the only guy in Scranton really deserving of a promotion at the moment; the next wave of guys is Nova and then probably Royce Ring. Romulo’s down on the pecking order right now.
DFA Chad Gaudin.
I won’t quibble with this, but again, I’m DFAing Gaudin for Nova, not for Romulo.
When Pettitte’s turn comes up again, Recall Ivan Nova, DFA Dustin Mosley.
Whatevs.
You’re going to like my morning post over at TYU.
That way, the only question in that bullpen is Joba
—
Really? I would have questions about that entire pen! Maybe it will work. Maybe it will be worse than what we had. It’s nice to believe that Alby might finally be good in the majors, or that Nova and Sanchez will step up and be effective, but that’s asking a lot. With the loss of Pettitte for three to six starts and a questionable Joba, the last thing the Yankees should be doing is cutting Park or Gaudin. They need arms now.
Good thing the Yankees have Joba stashed away at AAA in case something like this happened!
Oh. Wait.
/still no faith in Mitre’d
I sure hope the Yankees don’t do anything foolish, like now decide to trade Montero for a pitcher a tier or two below the Halladay and Lee levels they had previously explored with Montero. Good teams have to piece together situations like this. We can survive a month without Andy…I hope! AJ totally has to elevate his game now.
So, Andy’s turn in the rotation comes up six times in next five weeks:
Sat 7/24 against the Royals
Thu 7/29 at the Indians
Tue 8/03 against the Blue Jays
Tue 8/10 at the Rangers
Sun 8/15 at the Royals
Fri 8/20 against the Mariners
The only horrible matchup looks like that date in Arlington against the Rangers home offense. Other than that, I’m certain that some amalgam of Mitre/Moseley/Gaudin/Nova/Sanchez could handle that.
I agree. While losing Pettitte for six starts is not ideal, especially since he thrives in the July-September time frame when a team needs a kick to pull away from the pack, it is not something Yankee fans should panic over.
The goal is to make the play-offs. We have a three game lead over Tampa, but we have a seven game lead (loss column) over the Sox for the Wild Card. If this team can’t hold a seven-game lead over the next month, then they don’t deserve a playoff spot!