Hughes scratched from start today

September 21, 2011 by Joe Pawlikowski 63 Comments

Phil Hughes, who was scheduled to take the ball in the afternoon half of today’s doubleheader, will not make his start. Back spasms already pushed him back from Monday to Wednesday. There is no word on whether he will make another start this season. In his stead, Hector Noesi will take the mound. Joe Girardi said that Noesi can throw 50 to 60 pitches if all goes well.

Noesi has made just five starts this season, all coming at AAA Scranton. His latest came on August 31st, though he threw only three innings (two hits, four strikeouts, no runs or walks). Since then he has thrown 5.1 innings, all in relief. He hasn’t thrown more than three innings since July 22nd, and hasn’t thrown 60 pitches since his six-inning outing against Boston on June 7th.

CC Sabathia is still on schedule to start the night game.

FanSince07

What a bust, should of kept Kennedy!
- Holy Ghost
  
  I agree. Its all time we admit that it should have been Hughes or Joba in that trade instead of Kennedy
  - http://twitter.com/JimIsBored JimIsBored (Jim S)
    
    Can’t tell if you’re serious.
    
    Hindsight, of course.
    
    At the time, no, I’d rather have kept the 2 guys who showed some ML success rather than the guy who was coming off a missed year due to an aneurysm.
    - Yank The Frank
      
      I also recall Kennedy having an “I don’t give a shit” attitude after getting lit up on a comeback start and laughing about it on the bench.
      - Mister Delaware
        
        That’s only a bad thing if its not a good thing. Remember, Farv laughed off INTs and it was seen a him just being a kid-like adult who loves the game.
        
        MannyGeee
        
        yeah, this is the reason I hated IPK, 20 game winner or not.
        
        I would rather have a Tom Brady who gets absolutely pissed about throwing a pick over Brett Farve laughing them off in between sending dick picks, thanks.
        
        being OK with an overall shitty performance should NEVER be a good thing, whether you’re a professional athlete or a professional accountant.
        
        Holy Ghost
        
        I think you’re reading too much into one game from IPK’s very short tenure in pinstripes. The kid is probably more mature now and has passed way beyond what we thought his ceiling was.
        
        It’s probably also true that the Yanks struggle to develop starting pitchers because they don’t have as much patience as other teams. Nova might be the exception to the rule.
        
        Mister Delaware
        
        If the choices are “act really upset and dwell on the bad start” or “shrug if off and move on immediately”, I’m taking the guy who can do the latter every time. Unless the guy who does the latter is John Lackey.
  - MannyGeee
    
    IPK had just missed a chunk of the season due to an aneurysm… Joba & Hughes were far and away ‘safer’ bets due to service time and relative health.
    
    don’t live in the past, it is what it is.
    - MannyGeee
      
      unless of course you were being sarcastic, in which case….
      
      my bad?
  - Thomas
    
    Don’t forget Jeff Karstens. They Yankees clearly gave up the wrong two.
    - Cris Pengiuci
      
      And Tyler Clippard …
- http://fendersonandhampton.com Cuso
  
  Kennedy would never have become the Kennedy that he is now if he stayed in the Bronx.
  
  He was given a full season and the opportunity to FAIL in Arizona in 2010. He knew his spot was never in jeopardy no matter how bad he stunk up the joint last year. And, thus, he learned how to pitch.
  
  You can’t, and won’t, get the opportunity to do that in New York.
  
  I’m more than fine with having Granderson over Kennedy.
  - Holy Ghost
    
    but the point is are you fine with having Hughes and Joba over Kennedy?
    - MannyGeee
      
      actually, when they are right (all three of them) I would take, in order: Joba over Hughes, Hughes over Kennedy.
      
      When dealing with prospects, its all a crap shoot as to who stays healthy and who makes the leap. again, it is what it is
    - gc
      
      No, the point is if you could go back in time knowing nothing about what things are like in 2011, would you still be OK with making that trade. The answer should be (IMO) yes.
http://fendersonandhampton.com Cuso

Uh oh. AJ is creeping into the postseason plans….
- Greg
  
  Maybe a game 4 starter in the LCS.
  - All Praise Be To Mo
    
    Um no, I think the order should be CC, Nova, Colon, Garcia, CC. Maybe have Burnett as an emergency long guy thats it. This season was a waste for Hughes, he needs to come to cmap next year in shape and serious or we shouod get rid of him. I think a big reason for this season was his lack of conditioning in the off-season.
- MannyGeee
  
  butbutbutbut he spit in my coolah!
  
  /WaterBoy’d
http://none Favrest

Might be a chance to get a look at big Delin Betances.
jon

after CC 20th win time to rest all the regulars
Gonzo

Does this influence the rest of the roster?
Reggie C.

Noesi is going to think he’s back at triple A with grandy, tex, and Martin sitting. Just making the kid comfortable. Does this mean Montero is catching at 1pm?
- MannyGeee
  
  would make a shit ton of sense wouldn’t it.
  - Bill
    
    Baseball Press says Romine catching batting 9th. They REALLY don’t think Montero can be a big league catcher, don’t they?
    - Greg
      
      They have said that he was having trouble blocking balls.
    - Mister Delaware
      
      Probably also some amount of risk aversion. Cervelli is out, Martin just banged up his thumb … may as well make sure your DH stays 100% healthy and focused on hitting.
      - Guns of the Navarone
        
        I agree. I’m sure we’ll see him catch some games once they have the division wrapped up. They’ll see what he can do then.
      - Monteroisdinero
        
        Hopefully this because this is BS! Montero can catch as well as Jorge did for years and maybe even better if he gets a chance!
        
        Not risking injury since there is no Cervelli seems a bit over the top but it would definitely stink to have Montero injure a hand on a foul pitch or a leg on a play at the plate and not be able to bat in the post season.
      - MannyGeee
        
        except for he is not getting the ABs. every 3rd day for a kid just learning the ropes in the bigs kinda worries me.
        
        .286/.348/.524/.872 since coming up, but the only game hes caught he went 0-3 with 3 Ks. Extremely small sample sizes affecting binder based decisions?
        
        Mister Delaware
        
        Yeah, absolutely the binder. Had he gone 2 for 3 with a HR that would be a binder page and Girardi would play him every game at catcher and be utterly shocked whenever he didn’t go 2 for 3 with a HR.
        
        Come on.
LarryM.,Fl.

I still believe that Phil Hughes can pitch in the 3 or 4 spot in our rotation. This year IMHO seems to be the aftermath of 2010 and 180 innings of pitching. He has had medical issue after medical issue from his first season. This leads me to my point about Phil Hughes. My recollection of his physical makeup was a bit slimmer throughout his body. Can his off season workout regime be flawed or lacking with intensity. I know CC has the makeup of a plush toy and it works for him. I have seen athletes with his body makeup that have flourished. Phil Hughes looked heavy from ST. Maybe a new program and diet in the off season is necessary for a healthier and improved pitcher with more staminia.
- MannyGeee
  
  wellllll, Joba had an improved workout over the winter (originally called fat then found out he was a cement mixer). and that didnt pan out.
  
  god dam I miss you, Joba. your jowly face, the fist pumps, pitching up and in on Youk…
  - http://twitter.com/JimIsBored JimIsBored (Jim S)
    
    Yeah, pre-injury Joba actually had been great this year. Whether that had anything to do with the improved workouts or not, who knows.
    
    Geez, our pen would be stacked(more than it already is) if he were still healthy.
    - MannyGeee
      
      ironically, for all the bitching we do about Cashman not having kept Aceves:
      
      If you look at the guys who were ‘supposed to’ be here in the BP (Marte, Feliciano, Joba), Aceves and his bad back looked like an acceptable loss.
      
      But as they say, try as you might Suzyn….
  - Betty Lizard
    
    Was just thinking the same thing. I went through a long, long, long and bad, bad, bad stretch of Joba “hatred.” Now, I miss the slob. Sniff.
- theyankeewarrior
  
  I agree. I expect a big rebound in 2012.
C

Why not start CC in the day game so you can try to clinch, then give the regulars the night off.
Tiny Tim

The day game is vs Shields so we should try to win the night game with CC. We only need to win one. Throw Noesi out there along with some of the other AAA guys and see what they can do.
MannyGeee

Here’s the rest of the lineup:

Gardner CF
Jeter SS
Cano DH
Rodriguez 3B
Swisher RF
Posada 1B
Jones LF
Nunez 2B
Romine C
Noesi P

(Per LoHud)
- The Big City of Dreams
  
  No Montero
theyankeewarrior

I still don’t understand why CC isn’t pitching game 1. Why not try and clinch right away and then rest everyone tonight? It will also give him 6 or so extra hours of rest before he (presumably) starts on shirt rest Sunday.

Seems like a “win-win”.

However, I wouldn’t mind turning this double header into a “lose-lose”. In which case I wish Phil was still pitching.
- Greg
  
  The problem is Complete Game James is pitching the first game. I think we have a better chance against Hellickson than Shields.
  
  Dont want to waste a CC start against Shields.
  - Guns of the Navarone
    
    That kind of logic makes zero sense to me. It’s the same as the people who want to start CC in Game 2 should they play Detroit because they don’t want to “waste” him against Verlander.
    - JobaWockeeZ
      
      It’s because Verlander is better.
      - Guns of the Navarone
        
        And that means what? They should concede the game in a sense by starting a lesser pitcher? It doesn’t make sense. You start your best against their best. Period. Yankees lineup vs Verlander against the Tigers lineup vs Sabathia is a good match-up.
        
        Mister Delaware
        
        Bear with me on this example …
        
        Team A: Verlander, Guthrie, Lackey
        Team B: Hamels, Garza, Nova
        
        Verlander is the clear best on the list, right? Hamels is really good but you’d expect, all things equal, Verlander would have the better start more often than not. Garza is a pretty decent example of a boom-or-bust guy; when he’s on, he’s outstanding, when he’s not, he can be pretty bad. Wouldn’t it make the most sense to move Garza to #1, let him face Verlander twice knowing if he really booms, you likely win and if he busts, you lose to Verlander who, based on their rotation, you’d expect to lose to anyway if anyone. Hamels versus Guthrie twice and Nova versus Lackey are all games you have a much better than 50% shot on. The other way, you’re spending Hamels against Verlander and hoping your best guy gets a split and can’t be too shocked if he loses 3-2 twice. That means if Garza busts once, you’re out. Just played the odds, putting your best pitcher first there isn’t the best play.
        
        (Again, that doesn’t apply to the Yankees. Burnett no longer has the booms with his busts and Sabathia can legitimately matchup against Verlander. But there are times where HE’S MY #1 SO HE GOES #1 isn’t the smart call.)
    - Mister Delaware
      
      I still think there are times its a good strategy, just not if you have a near equal ace and you aren’t costing a top pitcher a start. Just like I think its atleast worth considering throwing Nova in Game 1 rather than CC. Not because of Verlander, but because Nova’s been sooo much better on the road and this would give him Game 4 away and CC either Game 5 at home or Game 1 in the next round.
Dude

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=15093 We Might wanna keep this martin guy
- Guns of the Navarone
  
  That’s off topic Dude. You’re being veeeeery un-dude.
  - Dude
    
    I know but i just say it and thought id share….
    - http://www.riveraveblues.com Joe Pawlikowski
      
      Yes, but it’s off-topic nonetheless. We ask in our commenter guidelines that you don’t do that. Why the disrespect?
  - http://www.twitter.com/JoeRo23 The Honorable Congressman Mondesi
    
    Guns of the Navarone does not abide.
  - MannyGeee
    
    He obliges…
    - http://www.twitter.com/JoeRo23 The Honorable Congressman Mondesi
      
      Well that’s a little embarrassing.
Preston

Since Noesi can’t go a full start wouldn’t it make sense to give Phelps a shot?
- Monteroisdinero
  
  Laffey-the new coach’s son.
  
  brace yourselves.
  - http://twitter.com/JimIsBored JimIsBored (Jim S)
    
    Please, if I get nothing else in life, can I get a moratorium on the “coach’s son” meme?
    
    Good lord, it’s annoying. And not true.
    - Mister Delaware
      
      The assistant coach’s son would get an inning and a half and one PA to start over me in all-stars then I’d play the rest of the game. Coach’s sons are lame.
- Ed
  
  Phelps isn’t on the 40 man roster and probably hasn’t thrown a pitch in weeks.
  
  Along those lines though, I guess Betances would make the most sense. He’s with the team and has at least been throwing bullpen sessions. I’d be surprised to see him in a game this season though.
http://bleedingyankeeblue.com Phil Phuckin’ Hughes

Phuck!!
I still have Phaith in Phil!!
http://bleedingyankeeblue.com Phil Phuckin’ Hughes

Well at least there’s some good news for Hughes: http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/story/_/id/6999971/new-york-yankees-scratch-phil-hughes-back-spasms

Girardi says that he’s getting better, but not quite where he needs to be. He could throw a bullpen session in between games, hopefully he can. And who knows, maybe he can start in place of A.J on Saturday against the Red Sox.