NOT-SO-FUNNY BONE!

Sometimes you just need to laugh.  Actually, sometimes you need to get pissed by a bad, bad loss, but sometimes, you have to give a bad situation levity.  If you're just clicking on BYB right now, I warn you... just laugh. There isn't a reason to get angry, it's just nuts what happens to the Yankees and their players sometimes. Many times there's bad luck, injury and heartbreak.  Sometimes you should just grin and bear it.  Ivan Nova is hurt... wait... do NOT throw your computer!

Ivan Nova pitched 4 innings, giving up 8 hits and 8 runs.  It was then that Nova had some discomfort in his right arm. According to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, "The Yankees announced that Nova has soreness in the elbow and will undergo further diagnostic tests. Nova was replaced by right-hander Matt Daley, who joined the club from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Saturday; he allowed six runs (four earned) in 1 1/3 innings."

To say the Yankees bullpen troubles are not a problem would be ridiculous.  We have big problems and it's not just about missing Mariano Rivera. This is about bridging to the setup and closer.  Matt Daley is not the Yankees answer. Neither was Cesar Cabral from the night before.  There is no question, we need confidence in the pen. We just haven't found that yet. Luckily for us... it's April.

The Yankees run scoring was simple tonight.  In the 5th inning, Kelly Johnson knocked home Alfonso Soriano. That was it.  The Rays knocked 5 homers tonight. They were dominant. We weren't, plain and simple. Be it an injury to Nova or just plain good hitting from the Rays, it doesn't matter, a win is a win and they won. 

Now, the Yankees will have a question mark in the rotation, and more questions in the pen.  Sure, it sounds so horrible, you just need to laugh about it... but it's not so funny... is it Yankee fans?

Final: Rays 16 - Yankees 1

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BAD OUTING TRANSLATES TO SOMETHING WORSE FOR CABRAL

Hey, Cesar, don't look up... because this just happened.

Hey guys, it's worth noting that many are speculating, including me that last night's terrible outing probably got Cabral DFA'd.   There is no question I was pretty annoyed about the Yankee bullpen totally imploding last night.  I wasn't pleased with Adam Warren, and I was definitely unhappy with Cesar Cabral. Read WHEN GOOD FRIDAY TURNS BAD for more.

According to Marly Rivera of ESPN, Cabral was just designated for assignment:

Cabral just told me he was designated for assignment
— Marly~ESPN Deportes (@MarlyRiveraESPN) April 19, 2014

Now look,one bad outing down not a pitcher make.  You really need to gauge a guy on his body of work. That being said, the Yankees are making a statement here.  They weren't pleased with last night, no one was.

As Jeff Todd of MLBTradeRumors.com points out: " In his best season as a reliever, 2011, he worked to a 2.95 ERA in 55 innings at the High-A and Double-A level."  Hey, maybe that's where Cabral needs to stay for a bit and get some confidence, or maybe over time, the Yanks will release the guy entirely... we shall see.

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WHEN GOOD FRIDAY TURNS BAD

The Yankees had it in the bag.  My title was going to simply be "Good Friday". But then the Rays started to rally and the Yankee pitching started to implode. That started to get me annoyed... and by the 8th... I went to sleep. Bah!

The Yanks scored 4 in the 2nd. Scott Sizemore doubled scoring 3 runs... Brian McCann, Yangervis Solarte and Kelly Johnson. Shortly after, Brett Gardner grounded into a force out, but made it to first... Sizemore then scored.

Hiroki Kuroda pitched 5.2 innings, giving up 3 runs and 3 hits. He struck out 2. Once he left, David Phelps gave up a run, so did Matt Thornton, but then Adam Warren shit the bed, and with it, 4 hits and 3 runs in 1 inning of work for him.

Trust me, he wasn't the only one. Lefty Cesar Cabral and his 27.00 ERA gave up 3 more runs, and by then, it was way out of reach. 

Now you can blame pitching for the implosion last night, and I would too. You can't hand a lead to the pen and then let them give it up like they did last night, but this gang of guys is un-tested and it was almost a scenario of "I told ya so" as I'm watching guys like Warren and Cabral just show no authority on the mound. Now, truth be told, I'm not an Adam Warren guy.  I never have been and I know I'm in the minority. I also don't normally like to blast these kids after just 1 outing, but I want to make it clear that while I don't hate the guy because of this 1 game, I've never really felt good about him there.  That being said, Warren's been great for us this season....I'm just not a fan. Sorry, my opinion. Hopefully he proves me wrong...I like being proven wrong when it comes to the Yankees.

One thing you need to give credit to and that's the Rays scoring. They stayed in the game and kept running the bases all night. Ever inning they knocked in at least 1 run.  That's called chipping away. You do that and big things happen.  It made my Friday "bad"... but for fans in Tampa... it truly was Good Friday.

Final last night: Rays 11 - Yankees 5.

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PINEDA COMES THROUGH & WE TAKE GAME ONE!

Michael Pineda was excellent!

Wait, I want to start with this quote from Joe Girardi, during his post game conference. "Every night is a chance for someone to shine, and it's not always the people you expect. To be successful as a team, it takes a lot of people." Tonights game, I believe, proved that.

Pineda pitched a shut out through 7, before allowing a run. It came as a single home run by Daniel Nava. David Phelps also did a phenomenal job. Coming in during the 7th, after Cesar Cabral, to get the last out of the inning, he went on to pitch lights out through the 9th.

Brian McCann got the first RBI of the game in the 4th inning. Jacoby Ellsbury helped beat his former team with a two out RBI that brought Derek Jeter in to score. Dean Anna got his first major league home run in the fifth. Casey is seriously stoked about that one. Welcome to the majors, Anna!

The question of the night was a mysterious substance on Pineda's hand in the third inning. It was no longer there in the fifth. Of course you will have a few conspiracy theorist out there making speculation. Rule 8.02.4, 8.02.6, and 8.02(e) say "The pitcher shall not apply a foreign substance of any kind to the ball," "The pitcher shall not deliver a ball altered in a manner prescribed by rule 8.02.4," and "The umpire shall be sole judge on whether any portion of the rule is violated."

Final: Yankees 4 - Red Sox 1

Everyone stepped up tonight. It was a serious team effort all around. Plus, we took the first game against our biggest rivals. It feels really good!

 --Erica Morales BYB Senior Writer

Twitter: @e_morales1804

 

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THE YANKEES & THE PANAMA SERIES

This is a cool little thing that the Yankees are doing in Mariano Rivera's native Panama.  There will be a series in Panama and the Yanks have set their roster for the series. They'll be playing the Marlins in what is being called the "Legends Series" on the 15th of March.

According to Paul Hagen of MLB.com, the roster the Yanks are taking there is as follows:

"The complete Panama roster:

 Pitchers: Cesar Cabral, Robert Coello, Preston Claiborne, Matt Daley, Chris Leroux, Jim Miller, David Robertson, Sabathia, Yoshinori Tateyama, Warren, Chase Whitley


Catchers: Cervelli, Jose Gil, John Ryan Murphy, Gary Sanchez


Infielders: Dean Anna, Jeter, Corban Joseph, Jose Pirela, Yangervis Solarte, Zelous Wheeler  

 Outfielders: Zoilo Almonte, Carlos Beltran, Adonis Garcia, Brett Gardner, Antoan Richardson, Alfonso Soriano"

Joe Girardi said he wanted Brian McCann to stay back to prep for the regular season.  "I just thought it worked better if [McCann] stayed here seeing our starters." OK. Makes sense.

Joe also spoke of the Panama series:  "We know what the Yankees mean to Mo, and we know what his country means. To be able to combine the two is really special. Because Mo goes home every winter and sees family. He loved his time there...For me, if I was ever able to bring the Yankees to East Peoria, Illinois, it would be a huge deal to me. Right? And that's in the same country. So it is a huge deal."

Even yesterday, Dean Anna tweeted about Panama:

Excited to play out in Panama this weekend.
— Dean Anna (@DeanOfSwing) March 13, 2014

Check out two recent pieces about Dean Anna by BYB writers Steve Skinner and Erica Morales here:

GOOD THINGS COME TO THOSE WHO WAIT

WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH DEAN ANNA?

Anyway, not to get off track, I just wanted to keep you in the loop on Panama. It's historic and something that's happening. I'm glad they could do something like this.

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ANOTHER SOLID LEFTY RELIEVER IS GONE

I know you guys don't care about Paul Maholm's, but for me and my buddy Glenn Beyrouthy... we wanted to see Maholm on the Yankees.

@GlennBey Dodgers. Of course. He's a solid Lefty. We knew it would happen.
— Bleeding Yankee Blue (@BleednYankeeBlu) February 9, 2014

It official at this point. The Los Angeles Dodgers have signed a deal with Maholm for $1.5 million.  That comes from our pal Jim Bowden at ESPN who writes:

Dodgers sign Maholm 1-year 1.5m major league deal
— JIM BOWDEN (@JimBowdenESPNxm) February 9, 2014

No surprises. The Dodgers now have the money to sign whomever they want, and Maholm is a good catch.

For me personally, I have always liked the idea of more than 1 lefty in the pen.  Currently the Yanks can toy with the idea of having Manny Banuelos or Cesar Cabral compete for a spot this spring, but they also have Vidal Nuno and the replacement lefty, Matt Thornton. We have options, but Maholm would have been a smart choice.

Whatever the case, what's done is done, and we can't go back. The Dodgers signed a nice lefty. We move on. Let's enjoy what we have. This week will be a big week... Spring Training is all but here.

Thank you to all the Bleeding Yankee Blue readers for continued success.  You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in the history of Yankees fandom.  Thanks for reading, sharing and enjoying. Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue (Official) on Facebook, just type it in.

WHY HAVEN'T WE SIGNED PAUL MAHOLM?

I've been screaming about lefties in the Yankee pen for a while now.  Then, we finally let Boone Logan walk away, something I was definitely supported, but I was definitely disappointed when my favorite lefty, Clay Rapada asked for his release from the Yankees last season.  Clay eventually signed a minor league deal with the Los Angeles Angels, read WISH OUR BUDDY CLAY RAPADA WELL...

Hey, that sucked, but I thought the Yanks would have least have an alternate plan in all of this. After all, having a few lefties in the may not be a top priority, but it is essential in baseball.  Remember Mike Stanton? You know what I'm saying...

Right now the Yankees have Matt Thornton, a veteran lefty. That's a big upside as we turn the page past Logan. I like that, but we need more than just Thornton, trust me.  We do have Cesar Cabral and Vidal Nuno. 2 youngsters who could be a huge help.

But Vidal Nuno should be made strictly a srtarter.  Cabral on the other hand is a nice idea in the pen, I am not sold on him yet.  David Huff? Hmm. Sure, on that occassion that we need to call him up in case of an injury to one of our guys, then I'm on board.  Nothing against Huff, I just want to see someone else instead.

Paul Maholm.  Now look, this is just a fantasy at this point.  Maholm has been watched very closely by the Texas Rangers, and the Yankees should be in on that as well.  Why they aren't, I just don't know, unless they are just counting their money in a back room somewhere for Masahiro Tanaka... who knows.  But there is no question, while our rotation needs help, so does our bullpen.

Maholm is a 9 year veteran. He was 10-11 with a 4.41 ERA for the Braves last season and pitched 153 innings.  His career numbers give him more losses than wins, but depending on the team he was on, like the Pirates  for instance, maybe lack of offense, he may have not been given the right setting and support.  The Yankees lineup could be a boost for him, confidence wise, as well as performance.  All I'm saying is, I would love to give this guy a shot.

According to Jim Bowden of ESPN, the Rangers "checked in", according to Maholm.

Paul Maholm just told us that the @Rangers are one of the teams that have checked in on him #SXMSports
— JIM BOWDEN (@JimBowdenESPNxm) January 15, 2014

So... why haven't the Yankees? Should they? Are we OK with the lefties we already have? What do you think? Tell us, comment.

And enjoy your Friday Ladies and Gentlemen...

Thank you to all the Bleeding Yankee Blue readers for continued success.  You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in the history of Yankees fandom.  Thanks for reading, sharing and enjoying. Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue (Official) on Facebook, just type it in.

THE YANKEE PEN: AREN'T WE LOOKING ALITTLE THIN?

The Yankees are definitely looking at a renovation of the active roster, with some big-name signings this winter. With a little less fanfare, the Yankees have also begun to reform their bullpen. The way the Yankees are addressing the bullpen leaves some question marks, and introduces risks that may prove costly during the season. Nothing is more frustrating than losing late in the game, and the bullpen’s ability to shut down games is critical.

The retirement of future Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera forced the issue, as the Yankees are still working out who will be the named closer for the team. With Joe Nathan signed to the Detroit Tigers and although Grant Balfour didn't sign in Baltimore due to a shoulder problem, read HERE, he's going to sign somewhere. There's no doubt, the closer market is drying up. If the Yankees take no action, the de facto closer would be David Robertson.

We love DRob, and he brings excitement to the 8^th inning, where he has found a home for the past few years. The question is, can he handle the 9^th inning. Yes, it is a question. While it is not fair to draw too many conclusions from his brief stint as closer in 2012, when Mariano Rivera was injured, he did not look as strong as we expected. On the upside, he entered the game last year 11 times in the 9^th inning or later and looked impressive. Four of those times he held a tie, he converted all three save opportunities, and zero losses. He has the stuff to do the job, but without the experience of doing it over a long season, he is a little bit of a wildcard.

Middle relief has let two of its regulars go. Joba Chamberlain, who showed tremendous potential in 2007 and 2008, just flat-out tanked. He signed with the Detroit Tigers just over a week ago, and we wish him the best. Boone Logan, who has been the lefty specialist for the Yankees for the last seven years, signed with the Colorado Rockies. He certainly was erratic at times, but only four times out of 61 appearances did he blow a game or take a loss.

Matt Thornton signed a 2-year deal with the Yankees in recent days, which helps replace what Boone Logan brought to the Yankees. A 37-year old career lefty middle reliever, his veteran presence should bring some stability to the bullpen. That veteran presence may come in handy, given how the Yankees relief pitcher strategy is shaping up.

It is obvious that the Yankees want to grow the bullpen from their farm system, DRob and Thornton aside. The list of candidates will likely include Adam Warren, Shawn Kelley, and Preston Claiborne. Other kids coming up can include Dellin Betances and Cesar Cabral, who continue to show promise. All of these guys have potential, and our hope is that all of them mature to be strong reliable pitchers. However, it is impossible to look at a rookie and determine with any kind of certainty whether or not you are looking at the next Mariano Rivera or the next Joba Chamberlain. They all looked great at times. They all made rookie mistakes at other times.

That is where the rub is. I think you are going to find that the bullpen, as it stands now, will generate a lot of excitement. Nevertheless there will be times, especially when the pressure is on in a must-win scenario, where you are going to want that rock-solid veteran to slam the door on an opposing rally. Invariably we will see this kid crew falter from time to time. It is only a matter of how often, whether we can stomach it, and how well positioned we are to go to the market if things start to go down.

 
--Ike Dimitriadis, BYB Writer
Twitter: @KingAgamemnon
My blog is: Shots from Murderer's Row

   

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THE BOONE BONE SPUR & WHAT COMES NEXT

Just another day at the office for the New York Yankees.  Every day there is someone hurt. Every day there is a diagnosis and every day players either come back to further aggravate their injury or they disappear after seeing Dr. James Andrews. The latest news comes out about our old friend Boone Logan, or as I refer to him, "I wish he was Clay Rapada."

Anyway, Boone Logan had a visit with Dr. Andrews, you remember that, right? We wrote about it in GUESS WHERE BOONE LOGAN IS GOING?

Turns out Logan has a bone spur in his elbow.  According to Andy McCullough of the Star Ledger, " The examination lasted five minutes, Yankees reliever Boone Logan said, long enough to assuage his fears by diagnosing the problem with his left elbow. A CT-scan conducted by Dr. James Andrews on Monday revealed a bone spur in the back of his left elbow. Logan expects to undergo surgery in the offseason, but plans to pitch again this season." 

So what does it all mean? To me, personally, if he pitches again and isn't effective, why pitch him again? It shows me the Yankees are out of options and while I'm no doctor, I can tell you that the piling up of injury is very telling in this Yankee organization right now.  It's something that needs to be examined quite closely... and we will, soon enough here at BYB.

Give Boone credit for wanting to come back, but I'd be lying if I didn't tell you that in the back of my mind, I'd love Cesar Cabral to chloroform the guy moments before he attempts to take the mound.  I just don't trust Boone out there... I  don't trust him healthy, what makes you think I trust him with a bone spur?

Stay tuned.

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JR MURPHY GETS HIT NUMBER 1

I probably should have put this in the BYB recap today (WHAT? US WORRY?), but I wanted to take a moment to give it it's own post. Many Yankee fans were very excited about the surplus of catching we had in our Yankee farm system just a few years ago, just to be disappointed with the outcome recently.

Today though, JR Murphy, a rookie catcher the Yankees have been promoting in the minors lately made his debut in the Bronx, and he got a hit! In today's game, and quoting the New York Daily News, "Catcher JR Murphy made his major league debut for the Yankees, pinch-hitting in the eighth. Murphy, 22, reached base on an infield single. He became the 52nd Yankee used this season, setting a franchise record."

By the way, there's a great blog by Mark Feinsand chatting about Murphy and Ceasr Cabral getting September Call-ups.  I don't normally give props to other blogs, but this one is good.  You can check it out HERE.

Congrats to JR... can't wait to see you up full time... with Ty Hensley pitching to you every 5th day!

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MELKY MESA IS GONE & OTHER BIG MOVES

Well, that was fast.  Remember Melky Mesa? He was one of the kids the Yankees really had high hopes for. Well, he's gone, released by the Yankees. They announced it on Twitter:

Jayson Nix transferred to 60-day D.L. and Melky Mesa unconditionally released to make room on the 40-man roster for Cabral and Marshall
— Yankees PR Dept. (@YankeesPR) September 1, 2013

He'll land on his feet somewhere, the kid has potential. According to Madison.com HERE,other things happened too today!: "The New York Yankees have expanded their roster with September call-ups, adding infielder David Adams and three pitchers. The Yankees promoted right-handers Dellin Betances and Brett Marshall and lefty Cesar Cabral from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. They also signed catcher J.R. Murphy and selected him from Triple-A before Sunday's game against Baltimore."

On a side note and because I like Clay Rapada, I'm happy to announce that Clay was called up by the Indians! Good job bro! Now take a picture in your Bleeding Yankee Blue T-Shirt and send it to us!!!

Good luck to all the boys! September is here!

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YOUKILIS, CABRAL, KATE UPTON & SOMETHING FOR THE LADIES

Some news out of Yankeeland and a few other things that I need to get off my chest... and yes, one that has to do with Kate Upton. Don't get crazy ladies... keep reading...

Kevin Youkilis: First off, Kevin Youkilis.  Youk was placed on the Disabled List yesterday and with that, it forced the Yankees to call up Thomas Neal and Chris Bootcheck. Both played in last night's 5-2 loss against Anaheim, read HERE.  According to Lou DiPietro of YESNetwork.com HERE, the reaccuring lumbar strain problem won't go away, "Youkilis spent nearly five weeks on the disabled list earlier this season because of a similarly-termed lumbar spine strain... Neal, who was signed to a Minor League deal with a Spring Training invite last winter, has spent the entire season at triple-A, hitting .339 with two home runs and 24 RBI in 47 games for the RailRiders. The 25-year-old has nine games of previous Major League experience... Bootcheck, a former first-round draft pick of the Angels who made his MLB debut with the Halos in 2003, was 5-2 with a 3.32 ERA in 11 starts for the RailRiders this season, and has a 3-7, 6.54 line in 90 career MLB appearances with the Angels and Pirates from 2003-09."

Maybe we see Youk soon... maybe we don't. I like David Adams right now anyway. I think I'm over Youk.

Cesar Cabral: Lou DiPietro of YESNetwork.com is the hardest working writing ever... next to me (I kid, I kid... or maybe I don't.)  Anyway, according to Lou (HERE), "The Yankees have outrighted LHP Cesar Cabral to Double-A Trenton, and the 24-year-old lefty joined the Thunder’s active roster on Friday night...The southpaw just finished a 30-day rehab assignment, one that saw him make five appearances at Class-A Advanced Tampa before finishing up with three more in Trenton. Overall, he allowed nine earned runs in 12 innings, striking out 10 but also walking 10."

There you go.

Kate Upton: This is a picture of Kate Upton.  I only revisit Kate because recently I was accused of being a chauvinist pig.  Wow. I'm not. Upton's a model and sometimes I like to get your attention here at BYB.  If you think I'm being over the top, go search the other blogs.  We're just having fun here. We're not changing.  I'm sorry if you feel that way and I hope you understand that I have never taken myself too seriously, but the reality is, sometimes in the Internet world, you need to be provocative... please understand that. It's all in good fun.

Channing Tatum: There is no absolutely NO news about Channing Tatum. In fact, the only real news is  that I didn't know who he was until about a month ago. Sorry, I'm busy... I'm busy putting up pictures of Kate Upton apparently.  Clearly the ladies know him and so here you go... I gave the ladies one... You female chauvinists... I'm joking. 

Beautiful people at Bleeding Yankee Blue. We're 1 big happy family.

Enjoy your Saturday...and stop yelling at me.

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POSITIVE UPDATES FOR PINEDA, CAMPOS & OTHERS

Since signing Kevin Youkilis and Ichiro, news in Yankeeland has been relatively quiet. However, there is some positive injury-related news regarding pitchers Michael Pineda, Jose Campos, and Cesar Cabral, as well as top center field prospect Mason Williams, all courtesy of Chad Jennings over at LoHud (read HERE).

Let’s start off with Michael Pineda. Pineda, as you all know, has yet to throw a pitch in a meaningful game for the Yankees, as he’s recovering from a labrum surgery which he underwent back in May. We now get word that Pineda is continuing to throw from long distances off flat ground. Mark Newman, Vice President of Baseball Operations says, “We’re thinking May on these guys” (Newman also referring to Cabral. More on him in a minute). Jennings speculates that the timetable is still the same for Pineda as he’s on track to pitch in a game come June while May would be when he pitches in rehab games.

Next up is pitching prospect Jose Campos. Included in the Montero-for-Pineda swap, Campos appeared in only five games for Low-A Charleston before missing the remainder of the season with an elbow injury. Thankfully, Campos should be ready to go for Spring Training. He is currently throwing off a mound, and Newman says Campos will most likely start back to Low-A as he needs to “complete” that part of his development, though Campos did pitch very well before getting hurt.

Arguably the top prospect in the Yankees’ farm system is Mason Williams. After getting promoted to High-A Tampa last season, Williams lasted only 22 games due to a hyper-extension in his left, non-throwing shoulder. He is currently swinging a bat, and the original timetable was for Mason to be ready for Spring Training, and I’d have to think that’s still the case.

(In Photo: Mason Williams)
Last up is lefty reliever Cesar Cabral. Cabral, who was a Rule-5 pick by the Yankees last winter, suffered a fractured left-elbow last year towards the end of Spring Training before getting shutdown for the remainder of the year. Cabral is currently throwing off flat ground, though it’s not a guarantee that he’ll be ready for Spring Training.
 


--Jesse Schindler, BYB Lead Staff Writer
Follow me on Twitter @SchindlerJesse


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UPDATE: CC MONSTER & HIS BUM ELBOW

UPDATE 4:47PM: News out of Yankeeland is CC Sabathia will be placed back on the 15 day Disabled list again.  Read about it from the Star-Ledger's Marc Carig. HERE. If there are any further updates, we'll bring them to you.
 
Bad news coming out of Yankeeland.  Of course it depends on how you look at this, but we need to keep an eye on it.  It's being reported by Mark Feinsand that CC Sabathia has some elbow soreness. Read HERE.  According to Mark at the New York Daily News: "Sabathia could miss his next start after experiencing some minor soreness in his left elbow in recent days, but the Yankees don't appear to be worried..."

Let's do what the others won't do right now, speculate on this one... CC WILL miss his next start.  Why do I say that? Well, why rush the guy now? Let him miss his next start, that will only help us down the stretch.  I trust the Yankees when they say they're not concerned.  I have to say though, there have been a ton of tweaks and injuries this season with the Yankees and their elbows.  Why? Check out the list: 

• Jose Campos: Elbow imflammation, read HERE.

 

(In Photo: Manny Banuelos)

• Manny Banuelos: Shut down for a bone bruise on his left elbow, read HERE. 
• Brett Gardner: Elbow injury and surgery, read HERE. 
• Cesar Cabral: "significant" elbow injury back in Spring training, read HERE.

Now CC Sabathia has elbow soreness, not a bone bruise, not anything that requires surgery. My take on this is simple, we watch him and let him heal. If it's not serious, and hopefully it's not, he comes back in a week and everything is good to go.  But look, all I'm saying is, these elbow injuries are weird, aren't they?  We'll keep you in the loop here at Bleeding Yankee Blue and if anything develops with the elbow, we'll tell you. As for now... Let's Go Yankees!!

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YANKEES NEW, YANKEES OLD AND KATE UPTON

Look, there's a ton of Yankees news and names that I needed to fill you in about.  And sure, I wanted to post this Kate Upton video as well.  God Bless America and the New York Yankees...

David Aardsma: So great news for David Aardsma, he's on track, according to him.  Gotta love Twitter, read HERE.  20 fastballs he threw and he felt good.  That's good and once he starts mixing up the pitches he'll move on to the next step and hopefully we see him after the All-Star break.  Look, the Yankees pen right now is terrific and if Aardsma comes in and he can contribute, that can only be a good thing.  I'm psyched about this guy and again, I love that he communicates with us fans on Twitter.

Alfonso Soriano: According to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times, Soriano is interested in being traded to a contender. Read HERE. The question is, would the Yankees have a need or want to bring him back to the Bronx to utilize his bat off the bench?

Jose Contreras: Remember Jose Contreras? He's with the Phillies these days and I just wanted to fill you in on his life.  He has a tear of his ulnar collateral ligament and a flexor pronator tear...read HERE.  I always liked Contreras but he wasn't Yankees material.  I really loved what George Steinbrenner did with Contresas, outbidding the Red Sox back in the day...you gotta love that. It was right around then that the Yankees were called the Evil Empire...sour grapes much?

Austin Romine: Romine is back...kind of.  He announced on Twitter that he can begin baseball activities finally. Read his Tweet HERE. Let's not forget, this guy's had back problems since Spring. Hopefully he gets going, I'm really looking forward to seeing him at some point.

Ross Ohlendorf: Ross Ohlendorf had that potential that the Yankees always say they like about their kids, then, in a flash he was shipped off to the Pittsburgh Pirates near the trade deadline in 2008 with 3 others for Damaso Marte and Xavier Nady. Marte ended up being valuable to us in the 2009 World Series, so, it would have been interesting if we didn't make that move. The point is, I wanted to give you update on Ohlendorf who's on the move again. He was with the Red Sox on a minor league contract but opted out of it over the weekend. Well, he just signed with the San Diego Padres to a major league deal. Read HERE. Good luck Ross.

Cesar Cabral: Cabral was the lefty pitcher who was competing against Clay Rapada in spring training and literally got hurt right before the first day of the season.  Rapada made the team by default, Cabral was put on the shelf.  Here's the latest on Cabral, he's been moved from the 60 day to the 15 day DL. Read HERE.  That update was mid-May and to be honest, I haven't been able to get a better update now on June 4th, except to tell you that the consensus is he will miss the first half this season. Stay tuned.

Kate Upton: Kate Upton has been all over the place lately.  She recently appeared on the Dan Patrick show on one of the funniest shows by DP I've seen in a while. Read WHY IT'S ALL KATE UPTON ON DAN PATRICK'S SHOW. Upton recently danced the Cat Daddy and the video was "directed" by a guy named Terry Richardson.  Well... I guess he deserves an Oscar, because it's considered by many to be a great "film".  Here it is.
 
So there you have it, the New York Yankees, former Yankees and Kate Upton. Enjoy your Tuesday.

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