NOT SO FAST MICHAEL PINEDA

Marc Carig of the Star Ledger tweets some disturbing news out of Michael Pineda's extended Spring Training.  There is weakness in his shoulder.  Read that HERE. Next stop according to Carig is to be examined by the Yankees team doctor.  This is not good for the kid, although as far as the Yankees rotation is concerned, it eliminates the headache of moving around starters for other starters, it eliminated Pineda for now.  That being said, you really have to feel bad for this kid.  To think that Michael Pineda was pushing himself...competing for a rotation spot this Spring and got tendinitis... and now, he is suffering shoulder weakness, it's just a shame.  Yes, he will come back at some point, but for now, he's shut down.

I did write earlier this spring WHY THE INNINGS LOAD FOR PINEDA & NOVA WORRIES ME in which I stated:  "Tom Verducci is pretty good when it comes to this stuff and he's the one who came up with the the Verducci effect, and I started to wonder how it pertains to Michael Pineda and Ivan Nova . How will they respond this season, after 2011 showed us all a clear increase of innings compared to the previous season? It’s a tough call and everyone is different, but there is no denying, an increase of work load affects everyone. You have to believe it’s going to sneak into the equation when Pineda and Nova take the mound."

I then wrote: "Michael Pineda is 23 years old... think about that for a second. He pitched his first year in the majors last season. He pitched 171 innings. Before that, in AA West Tenn and in AAA Tacoma combined, he pitched 139.1 innings and had an 11-4 record with a 3.36 ERA. Don’t forget that Pineda came out of the gate as a powerful pitcher but by the All-Star break, he stalled and just hit a wall. After the All-star break his record was 1-4 with a 5.12 ERA. Many, including me suggested, the fatigue is normal for a kid this age, after all, over time he will gain strength, age and last longer in the season, but there is no question it is a concern jumping from the minors and pitching 139 innings to the majors going 171 innings."

You have to wonder if there is a connection between the innings load of Pineda and the now sore shoulder.  Stay tuned as we'll have more on this story soon.

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