While Yankee fans would love to have David Robertson ready to go for the 7th inning against the Red Sox this weekend, the Yankees, with their eyes on an October prize, say their key middle reliever will not be back until next week. Mike Puma of The Post spoke with Brian Cashman after Robertson threw off the mound yesterday, and the Yanks’ GM said that the plan is to have Robertson throw another mound session on Saturday and get him into games against Kansas City and Tampa. According to Puma, barring a “physical setback,” Robertson will be ready to go for the ALDS. “If he’s healthy, he is one of our better guys,” Cashman said. Indeed.
Robertson aims for weekend return
While the Yankees are getting Andy Pettitte back from his stint of extended rest tonight, another injured pitcher plans to make his return this weekend. David Robertson threw for the third time in six days prior to the Yanks’ Sunday game and says he felt great. Joe Girardi too was impressed with the progress his key middle reliever has made. Robertson will throw from a mound on Tuesday or Wednesday and hopes to pitch in a game this weekend against Boston. If Robertson is healthy, the Yanks’ pen will be fearsome indeed come the playoffs.
Meanwhile, because it’s come up via a few e-mails and off-topic comments, the Yankees will throw CC Sabathia, Joba Chamberlain and Andy Pettitte against the Red Sox this weekend. I believe the Sox will counter with Dice-K, Tim Wakefield and Josh Beckett.
Pettitte set for Monday; Robertson nears a return
As the Yanks head toward October, their aching and injured pitchers are feeling better. Andy Pettitte threw a bullpen session yesterday, his first since his shoulder fatigue set in. He talked to Peter Abraham afterward.
“I’ll be satisfied if I get through that start. I’ve been off a few days and obviously it was good to get through my normal long bullpen. I had no problems,” he said. “I’ve had a good period of rest. I didn’t expect to feel anything. I played long toss yesterday and felt great. The big thing for me will be now to get through Monday without having it fatigue-ing out on me and I’ll feel I’m over it.”
Pettitte was singing a different tune to the other reporters though. “I wasn’t worried at all,” Pettitte said. “It’s the same old thing. Monday will be good. I’ll be happy when I get through Monday and I don’t have any problems. I want to stand on the mound in the sixth or seventh inning and feel strong like I can keep going when they come pull me, not running on fumes like I was against Baltimore my last start.”
Analyzing injuries based on the what the players say is a rather dicey exercise in futility. Players hate admitting injuries, and Andy Pettitte in particular has been known to downplay pain. I like what Pettitte had to say to Bryan Hoch, but I’m not feeling great about his statements to Abraham. For now, I’m holding my breath on Pettitte. He has to get through Monday feeling strong. The Yankees need Pettitte to be healthy. They don’t need him aching and pitching through it.
Meanwhile, David Robertson threw another session from 60 feet. He reported no pain or stiffness in his elbow. He will probably have another catch on Sunday before moving to the mound for a few sessions. Maybe the Yanks will bring him back in time for next weekend’s Boston match-up, but I’ll stick with what I said yesterday: David Robertson will be on the mound to face the Royals when Kansas City visit the Bronx from Sept. 28-30.
A David Robertson rehab update
David Robertson is hitting the road with the Yankees this week, and while he isn’t ready to be activated yet, he has begun a throwing program that will determine the rest of his season. Prior to Wednesday’s game, Robertson threw from 60 feet, and he will do it again tonight before the Yanks take on the Mariners. If all goes according to plan and the right-hander’s progress continues apace, Robertson would probably be activated when the Yanks take on the Royals in from Sept. 28-30. With Brian Bruney’s frustratingly annoying ineffectiveness, the Yanks’ pen would be considerably strengthened if Robertson can come back this season and play a role during October.
In news tangentially related to the Yankees, the A’s have shut down Brett Tomko for the rest of the season with nerve damage in his right arm. Tomko was just three days removed from his first complete game shut out since 2005 when the A’s made this announcement. He hadn’t thrown 114 pitches in a game since May of 2006. So much for that whole Mitre/Tomko debate we had on Wednesday.
Waiting for — and needing — DRob
We didn’t have a chance to talk too much about last night’s game. The Yanks and Orioles suffered through a late-night rain delay after Damaso Marte and Edwar Ramirez* gave up any shot the Yanks had at making Derek Jeter’s record-setting night a victory. Yet, we should talk for a few minutes about the Yankee bullpen’s effort last night.
*If anyone is worried about a spot on the 40-man roster, worry no longer. Edwar Ramirez is dead weight at this point, and if the Yanks need to clear a space for, say, Chien-Ming Wang over the winter, Edwar can just be released.
With Andy Pettitte scuffling through a five innings, the Yanks had to fashion a four-inning effort by the bullpen. In the 8th, Phil Hughes and then Mariano could be summoned, but the six outs in the sixth and seventh would prove to be elusive. One game after no-hitting the Rays for 8.2 innings, the Yanks’ pen was a disaster. Damaso Marte gave up four runs in 0.1 innings, and while Jonathan Albaladejo held the game at 7-4, Edwar Ramirez gave up three in the 7th.
The runs Ramirez gave up don’t matter in the long run. It’s far more alarming for the Yanks’ post-season chances that Marte couldn’t get anyone out in the 6th. But that’s been Marte’s M.O. while on the Yanks. He’s either unhittable or horrendously awful. We saw the latter Marte last night, and the Yanks will still be hesitant to use him for more than a lefty or two come October.
What last night’s game shows us though is the importance of David Robertson. Had D-Rob been available, the sixth inning would have been his last night. Joe Girardi would have employed Robertson followed by some combination of Brian Bruney and Phil Coke before going to Hughes and Rivera in the later innings. While Bruney and Coke aren’t as consistent as we would hope, those five pitchers have provided the Yanks with a winning bullpen formula more often than not.
Robertson returned to the Yankees yesterday afternoon after a trip down to Florida to visit with Dr. James Andrews. MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo checked in with Robertson, and we now have a sense of the right-hander’s timetable. Robertson will rest for another four to six days before beginning a throwing program. He’ll strengthen his right forearm and bicep and make five or six more warm-up throws in the bullpen.
The Yankees expect Robertson back before the end of the season and will be relying on him to carry some of the postseason load. As we saw last night, the bullpen needs him, perhaps more than we realized.
Robertson out at least two weeks
Updated 6:05 p.m.: The Yankees have just updated us with information about David Robertson. The right-handed strike-out specialist reported elbow discomfort earlier this week, and after getting an MRI in New York, he saw Dr. James Andrews for a second opinion. The arm expert has recommended 10-14 days of rest for Robertson before the reliever should restart a throwing program. With 3.5 weeks left in the regular season, the Yankees could get Robertson back before the playoffs if his elbow responds well to treatment.
In fact, according to team officials, Robertson’s rest should line him up for a return before the playoffs. George A. King III spoke with Brian Cashman, and the Yanks’ GM was bullish on two-week return for Robertson. “He won’t be out more than 10 days to two weeks,” Brian Cashman said to King. “He should be pitching before September [ends]. It’s great news. I talked to [his] agent and David is really is pumped. Like everyone else, he wants to be part of it and he wants to be healthy.”
Over the last few weeks, Robertson had emerged as one of Joe Girardi’s go-to guys for the middle innings. The 24-year-old has thrown 41 innings over 42 appearances and has a 3.29 ERA. He has allowed 34 hits while walking 22 and striking out 61 or 13.4 per 9 IP, tops among Yankee pitchers. All of a sudden, Brian Bruney, Phil Coke and Damaso Marte have to be ready to step up their games.
David Robertson shut down, to see James Andrews
Dun dun dunnnnnnn. Word came down this afternoon that David Robertson has been shut down with tightness in his elbow, and will be off to see Dr. James Andrews at a to be determined date. Girardi did not rule out a Robertson return this season, but any time you hear Dr. Andrews the potential for danger is high.