CC Sabathia landed himself upon the 10-day DL on Monday with right knee inflammation, opening up a spot in the rotation for a familiar name.
The right knee of the CC Sabathia is once again giving the big man fits. On Monday, the New York Yankees cautiously sent Sabathia to the 10-day disabled list due to inflammation around the right knee.
Via NJ.com’s Chris Ryan, Boone mentioned the problems Sabathia was having and what the future plan might entail.
“He kind of had to grind through that last start, as well as he did pitch with it,” Boone said. “He kind of came to us and was like, ‘It was barking pretty well.’ So we decided best by DLing him now. Maybe only means he misses one start and we contain that.”
Sabathia has battled knee pain all season. It becomes extremely noticeable when he has to work deep into an inning. A lot of the time CC is found wincing in slight pain and battling his butt off to get out of a jam. There are occasions when he has to field his position and seems to lack the range and flexibility to plant himself and make an accurate throw.
This is all but mostly stemmed from his arthritic right knee…the same knee that is, once again, landing him on the disabled list this calendar year.
In place of Sabathia, a familiar replacement now will find his way back into the rotation. I know many of you at this point are worried that the replacement will be a certain demoted bullpen pitcher but don’t worry, it’s not Sonny Gray. Take a short breath Yankee fans; Luis Cessa will start on Wednesday against the Tampa Bay Rays in the Bronx.
-Placed LHP CC Sabathia on the 10-day DL with right knee inflammation.
– Optioned INF Luke Voit to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
– Transferred LHP Jordan Montgomery to the 60-day DL.— New York Yankees (@Yankees) August 13, 2018
Happily enough, Ronald Torreyes was part of a bunch of moves made by the Yankees on Monday, but there was one name that many would have liked to see: Justus Sheffield. He’s now 5-3 with a 2.16 ERA and 75 strikeouts in 79 innings pitched down in Triple-A Scranton.
Regardless, Sonny Gray will remain in his spot in the bullpen for the time being and Cessa will make the spot start. Many are beginning to wonder, however, when the “right” time for Sheffield will be.
Luis Cessa, in his three games he’s started this season for the Yanks, is 1-2 with a 4.50 ERA. Opponents are hitting a slash line of .244/.313/.389 against him as well. Cessa seems to be the man reliably called upon whenever a freak injury or hiccup occurs in the New York Yankees’ rotation.
Could the Yankees have prevented an injury like that of CC’s had they moved to a six-man rotation? Maybe. If he could have received an extra day off in between each start he made and was going to make, this reoccurring injury/problem may have been avoided.
Nevertheless, these are the cards they have been dealt, and once again, they will be tested to one of the weaknesses they’ve had throughout the season: starting pitching. Sabathia, at this rate, just simply needs extra rest for his knee.
Without CC and his 7-4 record and 3.32 ERA, the Yanks will be missing a colossal piece to their rotation (no pun intended). Not to mention, CC is also coming off a six-inning gem of one-hit ball on Sunday where he struck out seven on his way to a victory against the Texas Rangers.
CC’s main job now is to get healthy for the month of September when the Yankees will need him most.
