MLB Team Report – New York Yankees – INSIDE PITCH
The Yankees have persevered through a myriad of injuries to offensive stars this season with first-rate starting pitching. Andy Pettitte had been a big part of that effort until this week. He has turned in two poor performances in a row and is at a loss over why it is happening.
“It would be nice to have a little bit of an idea where the ball is going,” the 40-year-old lefthander said.
On Monday he was battered for seven runs in 4 1/3 innings. On Sunday he gave up four runs (three earned) in five innings of a 5-4 loss to Oakland at the Stadium. His ERA has ballooned from 2.22 to 4.06 and he says he has had no command of any of his pitches in either game.
“The issue is everything again,” he said Sunday. “Everything you want to do as a starting pitcher, I’m not able to do right now. I have no command of my fastball. I wasn’t able to hit spots with my off-speed stuff when I wanted to. And it was just a battle again.
“(In) my bullpen (sessions) everything’s been great. Something’s going on in the games. My release point is floating around a little bit. I can feel it. … You know the feel of the ball coming off your fingers. It’s not coming off right.”
In the two starts he has given up 10 earned runs, walked five, hit a batter and allowed three home runs in 9 1/3 innings.
Pettitte said he could not remember the last time that he was in this bad a place with his pitching and that he believed that at this stage of his career, periods like this were behind him. But Yankees manager Joe Girardi said he isn’t concerned based on Pettitte’s track record.
“I’m not going to judge someone on two starts. If it goes on for a month, then obviously there’s some concern,” Girardi said. “Every pitcher in the big leagues has had two starts that weren’t so good. If he was 32 we wouldn’t even ask the question. Because of his age we ask the question. Two starts is way too little to make a big deal out of it.”
Pettitte called his signature cutter “non-existent,” and added, “When I get into a game, it would be nice to be able to have command of something.”
There is no physical malady that is responsible for Pettitte’s downturn. That should be good news, but it comforts him very little.
“I wish I could tell you something hurting, but I feel good,” Pettitte said. “The frustrating part is you can have things hurting and pitch a lot better than this.”
———————————————–
MLB Team Report – New York Yankees – NOTES, QUOTES
RECORD: 18-12
STREAK: Lost one
PAST 10 GAMES: 7-3
NEXT: Yankees (Hiroki Kuroda 4-1, 2.25) vs. Rockies (Jorge De La Rosa 2-3, 4.18)
PLAYER NOTES:
–RHP Hiroki Kuroda has plenty of experience facing Colorado from three seasons with the Dodgers. However, his experience has not been positive as Kuroda is 1-5 with a 5.52 ERA in 10 career starts against the Rockies. In four starts at Coors Field, Kuroda is 1-2 with a 6.85 ERA. Kuroda’s last start was his only win over the Rockies as he allowed two runs and four hits in six innings in Colorado on Aug. 19, 2011. Kuroda takes a four-game winning streak into Tuesday’s game and during that stretch he has seven earned runs and 25 hits while striking out 29 hitters in 34 2/3 innings. Kuroda’s last two starts have seen him struggle early before settling in and that was the case Tuesday against Houston when he allowed seven base runners in the first two innings before pitching seven shutout innings.
–CF Curtis Granderson appears to be the closest of any of the injured players to returning. He is spending time rehabbing from a broken forearm suffered Feb. 24 and is taking fly balls in all three positions. The Yankees were planning on giving Granderson some time in left field during Spring Training before he got hit by a J.A.Happ pitch. Granderson is currently playing in extended spring training games and actually got hit by a pitch on Saturday. However, manager Joe Girardi said it was in the triceps and did not sound concerned.
–RHP David Robertson tested his hamstring by playing catch before the game and said he felt fine. Robertson was held off the weekend series as a precaution after suffering the minor injury attempting to cover first base in Wednesday’s win over Houston.
–LHP Andy Pettitte threw just 10 cutters because he never could get a feel for it and that’s the second straight start, he has had that issue. He also issued four walks for the first time since July 8, 2010, after issuing just seven walks in his first five starts.
–RHP Preston Claiborne made his major league debut by tossing two perfect innings. Claiborne impressed manager Joe Girardi by throwing 15 of 23 pitches for strikes. Claiborne joined the team Friday when Joba Chamberlain was placed on the disabled list with an oblique injury. He replaced Cody Eppley on the 40-man roster but the Yankees announced Eppley cleared waivers.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “He won that battle. I’m sure they’ll be plenty more. You give the guy on the mound credit this time and hopefully next time won’t have the same outcome.” — LF Vernon Wells on Oakland closer Grant Balfour striking him out for the final out Sunday.
———————————————–
MLB Team Report – New York Yankees – ROSTER REPORT
MEDICAL WATCH:
–RHP David Robertson (hamstring, quadriceps) is not heading to the disabled list but he is unavailable until the trip to Colorado May 7-9. He was injured May 1.
–INF Eduardo Nunez (tightness in his left ribcage) was removed from a May 5 game and had an MRI that showed only minor inflammation. He is day-to-day.
–RHP Joba Chamberlain (right oblique strain) was placed on the 15-day disabled list May. Chamberlain felt discomfort while warming up in the bullpen April 30, but he was unavailable May 1 and underwent an MRI Mon ay 2 before being placed on the DL.
–3B Kevin Youkilis was placed on the 15-day disabled list on April 30 with a lumbar spine sprain. Youkilis appeared in only one of eight games since April 20, tweaking his back on April 27. He received an epidural on April 30; the Yankees are hoping he will be back when he’s eligible to return May 13.
–RHP Ivan Nova (right triceps inflammation) was placed on the DL retroactive to April 27 after being pulled from his April 26 start. Nova is expected to return in mid-May. He will be rehabbing at the team’s minor league complex in Tampa beginning Monday.
–C Francisco Cervelli (fractured right hand) was transferred to the 60-day DL retroactive to April 27. Cervelli, who took a foul tip off his hand on April 26, is expected to be sidelined for six weeks before resuming baseball activity.
–SS Derek Jeter (left ankle surgery in October 2012) was shut down from his rehab program after a CT scan revealed a small fracture in his left ankle area. Jeter, who was rehabbing a severe fracture in the same ankle that forced him to undergo surgery in October, was placed in a walking boot and isn’t expected to return to action until after the All-Star break.
–OF Curtis Granderson (fractured right forearm) began playing in extended spring training games in Tampa on April 30. Granderson is scheduled to get about 50 at-bats to complete his rehab and is targeting a mid-May return.
–1B Mark Teixeira (torn tendon sheath in his right wrist) began doing contact-hitting drills May 1, starting with tee-and-toss. Teixeira will move his rehab to Tampa on May 6, but manager Joe Girardi has said it’s unlikely Teixeira will return before June.
–RHP Michael Pineda (right shoulder surgery in May 2012) continues to rehab after having a torn labrum repaired. He is unlikely to pitch before June. He began throwing off a half-mound in late January.
–3B Alex Rodriguez (left hip surgery in January) went on the 60-day disabled list Feb. 13 and will begin baseball activities on May 6. The Yankees expect to have him back after the All-Star break.
–LHP Cesar Cabral (stress fracture in left elbow) went on the 60-day disabled list March 26. He was throwing off a mound in late March.
ROTATION:
LHP CC Sabathia
RHP Hiroki Kuroda
LHP Andy Pettitte
RHP Phil Hughes
LHP Vidal Nuno
BULLPEN:
RHP Mariano Rivera (closer)
RHP David Robertson
LHP Boone Logan
RHP David Phelps
RHP Adam Warren
RHP Preston Claiborne
CATCHERS:
Chris Stewart
Austin Romine
INFIELDERS:
1B Lyle Overbay
2B Robinson Cano
SS Eduardo Nunez
3B Jayson Nix
DH Travis Hafner
3B Chris Nelson
OUTFIELDERS:
LF Vernon Wells
CF Brett Gardner
RF Ichiro Suzuki
OF Brennan Boesch
OF Ben Francisco
