CC Sabathia
Chris O'Meara/AP Photo

CC Sabathia needs to serve a five-game suspension for an incident in 2018 and the New York Yankees might have him serve the sentence early.

We all remember CC Sabathia’s outburst against the Tampa Bay Rays last season. The grizzled veteran was ejected for retaliating against the Rays for pitching up and in on his catcher, Austin Romine.

Sabathia was ejected and handed a five-game suspension for his part in the escalation. But the New York Yankees hurler could serve that suspension starting on Opening Day according to George A. King III of the New York Post.

“Asked if there was a chance Sabathia would take care of the suspension from the start of the season, manager Aaron Boone answered yes,” writes King.

The only reason why this is even a question is because Sabathia is currently rehabbing his knee. The Yankees are taking things slow with the 38-year-old.

When asked if he knew what the plan was, Sabathia had no idea. “That’s up to them,’’ he said. It would make sense to bite the bullet and have Sabathia serve his suspension early rather than wait until he is fully healthy.

The Yankees are dealing with a string of injuries to major contributors. In addition to Sabathia, Luis Severino, Aaron Hicks, and Dellin Betances will all miss the start of the season with various ailments.

On the bright side, the Yankees are feeling the burn of injuries early in the season. So long as they can tread water in April and May, they should be able to hit their stride.


NY/NJ hoops reporter (NBA/NCAA) & sports betting writer for XL Media. Never had the makings of a varsity athlete.