Double whammy vexes Yankees
The Yankees lost their ace for at least a couple of weeks and their most dependable veteran for about two months. For a team that’s already lost two key pitchers to injuries for the season, the news couldn’t have been much worse.
On the same day Andy Pettitte fractured his fibula near his left ankle, the Yankees put CC Sabathia on the 15-day disabled list with a strained groin.
“No one’s going to feel sorry for us,” manager Joe Girardi said Wednesday.
The Yankees have won 25 of their last 32 games and reached a season-high 18 games over .500. But they now have to face at least two starts without Sabathia and possibly close to two months without Pettitte, the veteran who came out of retirement and filled in admirably for a pitching staff hit by injuries, including the loss of starter Michael Pineda and closer Mariano Rivera.
“If we have to score some runs, we’ll score some runs,” Girardi said.
Pettitte suffered his injury in the fifth inning when his leg was hit by a line drive from Casey Kotchman. Before the game, the Yankees announced Sabathia strained his groin against the Mets on Sunday, and still felt discomfort after throwing in the bullpen Tuesday.
“I wanted to go out and pitch Friday, but it’s early in the season and I want to be healthy,” Sabathia said.
NO FORWARD ROLLS OR TRIPLE LUTZES
Cincinnati Reds manager Dusty Baker made sure that closer Aroldis Chapman won’t be doing any more somersaults after finishing a game.
Chapman did a pair of forward rolls after striking out Martin Maldonado to complete a 4-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night. Chapman has been struggling lately, and celebrated with somersaults toward home plate.
Baker talked to Chapman about it and said on Wednesday that it will never happen again.
Baker understood that Chapman was happy about getting the save after giving up a game-losing homer his last time out. But he says Chapman needs to express his happiness in a different way.
SHORT HOPS
The Diamondbacks placed Daniel Hudson on the 15-day disabled list with a right elbow injury that could lead to season-ending surgery. Manager Kirk Gibson said an MRI exam in Phoenix showed a tear in Hudson’s ulnar collateral ligament. … Roy Halladay is making progress in his recovery from a back injury and the Phillies ace could throw off a bullpen mound next week. Halladay, a two-time Cy Young Award winner, has been out since May 29 because of a strained latissimus dorsi muscle on the right side of his back. list. … The Cubs designated right-hander Randy Wells for assignment and recalled right-hander Rafael Dolis from Triple-A Iowa. … The White Sox decided to designate left-handed reliever Will Ohman for assignment after a wild final appearance with the team. He hit six batters, two of those in the ninth against the Twins, who scored off him three times in two innings.
