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Yankees sending Hughes to the disabled list

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Update (4:11pm): Scratch that, Joe Girardi told Marc Carig that Hughes is going to be placed on the disabled list and remain with the team, not sent to the minors. They called it a dead arm phase. “Something had to be done,” said Hughes. “My velocity’s just not there. My arm feels dead. This will able me to build arm strength and get this right.” Get well soon Philbert.

Original Post (3:54pm): Via Brian Costello, the Yankees are sending Phil Hughes to Triple-A Scranton to work out whatever the hell is costing him velocity and command. It’s pretty obvious that the team had to do something here, sending Phil out there every fifth day to get shelled isn’t in the best interest of him or the club. I figured they would give him one or two more starts, but I applaud them for acting quickly and not screwing around (i.e. phantom disabled list, bullpen, etc.). I’m sure Hughes is disappointed, but he can right this by getting back on track in a structured environment where results really don’t matter.

Right-hander Lance Pendleton is being called up to replace him on the roster, though it’s unclear who will fill the vacated rotation spot. My money’s on Hector Noesi. I assume Pedro Feliciano will be shifted to the 60-day DL to make room on the 40-man roster.

Yankees get Lance Pendleton back from Astros

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Via Alyson Footer, the Astros have returned Rule 5 Draft pick Lance Pendleton to the Yankees. The right-hander has already clear waivers and been assigned to minor league camp, so he’s not on the 40-man roster. Pendleton, 27, was dubbed Houston’s 29th best prospect by Baseball America this spring, and they called him a fifth starter/long/middle reliever-type. He throws a low-90’s fastball, a sinker, curveball, slider, and changeup, none of which particularly stand out. Just another arm for the Double- or Triple-A staff.

George Kontos, the other guy the Yankees lost in the Rule 5 Draft, was returned by the Padres earlier this month.

Rehab Guys: What Can We Expect?

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Over the last 18 months or so, some of the Yanks very best pitching prospects went down with major arm injuries. It was frustrating and almost laughable at how many quality arms went down with Tommy John surgery, but at the same time it’s a testament to the kind of pitching depth the organization has when they can lose that many guys still have arms like Hughes, Joba, IPK, Tyler Clippard and Ross Ohlendorf make contributions at the Major League level.

A popular comment amongst…uh, commentors is that “Player X [who went down with a major injury in 2007] will be ready to help the bullpen by midseason,” and you know what? That statement is completely wrong. Pitchers have to relearn their mechanics and find their control after such a long layoff, and that process can be painstaking at times. Guys who rely on command and control need even more time to get things back to once they were.

Just like Brian Cashman, I can’t predict the future, so the info presented here is basically just my best educated guess, if that makes sense. We’re all hoping these guys get healthy and dominate in 2008, but in reality we should hope that they just finish the year strong. Fun starts after the jump.

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