The New York Yankees aren’t expecting CC Sabathia back any time soon.
Speaking to Buster Olney on a podcast for ESPN the Magazine, Yankees general manager and senior vice president Brian Cashman said he doesn’t expect the lefthanded pitcher to return until at least July.
“It’s an unpredictable time frame,” Cashman said. “I’d say you’re talking at least six weeks until you see him on a major league mound again.”
The Yankees ace was placed on the 15-day disabled list on May 11 due to inflammation in his right knee that was aggravated during an outing against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Cashman noted on the podcast that Sabathia suffered a breakdown in the cartilage of his knee during that outing, causing swelling and fluid buildup that led to his trip to the disabled list. He added that it would be a while before Sabathia could even put weight on his knee, and that even a return on July 1 could be too optimistic.
“If we predict anything before six weeks, then we’re probably setting ourselves up for disappointment,” Cashman said.
New York’s starting rotation is also without Michael Pineda, who was placed on the disabled list with a strained back on May 6, a day after serving a ten-game suspension for using pine tar in a game against the Boston Red Sox.
Yankees have had to piece together their rotation in the absence of Sabathia and Pineda, giving starts to rookie righthander Chase Whitley and former Red Sox reliever Alfredo Aceves, but have still managed to stay afloat in the competitive American League East.
New York led the division with a 23-20 record as of Monday.
