Right-hander Sergio Mitre gave up four runs (three earned) on eight hits in 5 2/3 innings in a 6-4 win over the Orioles on Tuesday. It was Mitre’s first start since Sept. 15, 2007, and his first win since July 29 of that year after coming back from Tommy John surgery.
"It was an extremely long way back,” Mitre told the New York Post. “It's been over a year. I was a little too excited today. I hadn't pitched in the big leagues since '07, so it was a very long time, a long way back for me, so it was nice."
Yankees manager Joe Girardi was pleased.
"He did a nice job,” Girardi said. “He threw a lot of strikes, almost got through six. I was happy. It was a big lift for us. He did what he needed to do. We're not asking him to do anything out of the ordinary."
Everyone seemed thrilled by the 28-year-old’s comeback performance in the Bronx. Everyone except Brett Tomko, that is, who was designated for assignment in order to make room for Mitre on the roster.
“I don’t think I ever got a chance to get really hot,” Tomko told The New York Times. “In spring training, I thought I should have made the team. I did what I had to do at Triple-A, got called up, and I never got a chance to go on a roll.”
With Chien-Ming Wang on the shelf with a sore right pitching shoulder, Mitre is likely to remain in the Yankees’ rotation for as long as he remains productive.
