J.A. Happ’s first start against the Boston Red Sox as a member of the New York Yankees will have to wait.
The Yankees placed Happ on the 10-day disabled list due to illness before Thursday’s series opener against the Red Sox at Fenway Park. Happ was scheduled to face Nathan Eovaldi on Saturday in the third game of the American League East rivals’ four-game set.
New York likely will turn to Luis Cessa for Saturday’s clash, although Yankees manager Aaron Boone left the door open while speaking with reporters before Thursday’s game.
Cessa was called up by the Yankees on Wednesday and is 1-2 with a 3.10 ERA in seven appearances (three starts) with New York this season.
Here’s the updated pitching probables for this weekend’s series in Boston:
Thursday, 7:10 p.m. ET: CC Sabathia, LHP vs. Brian Johnson, LHP
Friday, 7:10 p.m. ET: Luis Severino, RHP vs. Rick Porcello, RHP
Saturday, 4:05 p.m. ET: TBD vs. Nathan Eovaldi, RHP
Sunday, 8:05 p.m. ET: Masahiro Tanaka, RHP vs. David Price, LHP
Happ’s DL stint stems from a bout with hand, foot and mouth disease, an illness common to children. He’s the second New York-based hurler to land on the DL with the disease, as New York Mets ace Noah Syndergaard recently contracted the illness, too.
Happ, who has good numbers against the Red Sox in his career (7-4, 2.98 ERA over 105 2/3 innings), has started only one game for the Yankees since being acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays last week before the Major League Baseball non-waiver trade deadline. He earned a win Sunday after allowing one run on three hits and a walk over six innings against the Kansas City Royals.
Saturday’s pitching matchup would have pitted two recent acquisitions against each other, as the Red Sox traded for Eovaldi from the Tampa Bay Rays one day before the Yankees landed Happ. Eovaldi also shined in his lone start since being traded, tossing seven shutout innings Sunday as Boston blanked the Minnesota Twins 3-0.
Happ’s absence marks one of several notable rotation developments for this weekend’s crucial series, as the Red Sox placed Chris Sale on the 10-day disabled list Monday with left shoulder inflammation and Boone announced Thursday that Sonny Gray has been moved to the Yankees’ bullpen after another lackluster performance Wednesday.
Lance Lynn, also acquired before the deadline, ultimately could join the Yankees’ rotation with Gray shifting to the bullpen. All signs point toward Happ and Sale each missing just one start.
