WHY THERE'S CAUSE FOR CONCERN

"He'll probably need about two more to go, as long as the New York side is OK. As long as the New York side is OK, we'd like to stretch him up to about 100 pitches, increase him by about 15 every outing."
--Brian Cashman tells the Daily News

(Photo: AP)

If Brian Cashman travels to Connecticut to watch Phil Hughes pitch a minor league game in his road back to the New York Yankees pitching staff, one would suggest that there is alittle worry behind that trip.

Last night, Hughes pitched against the New Britain Rock Cats, pitched only 3 1/3 innings throwing 72 pitches and only 42 strikes. Hughes ended up with 3 strikeouts and 2 walks giving up 3 hits and 1 run. According to reports, he barely hit 93 mph compared to when he was pitching Sunday where he hit 95. Bottom line, Velocity is down, but why?

I had my thoughts about this in WAS BILL MASSE RIGHT ABOUT HUGHES? and while I'm not totally sold on Masse's theory, you have to wonder if what Masse says is correct, or at least on the right track. Could babying Hughes all these years affected him and could the sudden increase of innings from 2010 from 2009 messed with Phil in some way?

So what's the good news? Well, there is no need to rush right now, Cashman said it. If the Yankees pitching in the Bronx can hold it down, Hughes can rehab longer. We have Brian Gordon and we can give Hughes his time.

What's the bad news? We worry about Phil Hughes. For the longest time the Yankees were treating him with kid gloves and being sure they wouldn't damage him. Ironically, it seems that perhaps, just perhaps tinkering with the young man may have screwed with his young arm even though that is what they were trying to avoid. Now, I am clearly giving my opinion on the Hughes situation, I'm not a doctor and have no idea what all this "dead arm" stuff is all about. I just know I'm concerned. And why I wouldn't I be, having Golden Boy on a shelf this long is not the way I excepted this season to be for Master Hughes. It's a damn shame, that's all.

Please comment and let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.