Banged-Up Yankees Get Some Needed Pitching Reinforcements
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The Yankees have battled through some tough times of late, especially on the mound.
New York took steps toward getting whole on Tuesday when it welcomed back starter CC Sabathia and reliever Adam Warren. Both were activated from the disabled list prior to the middle game of the series against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Sidelined the last three weeks due to a strained left hamstring, Sabathia (7-2, 3.46 ERA) was scheduled to start against Toronto's J.A. Happ (2-5, 3.71).
"I feel good. I'm ready to go, so I'm excited to be out there," Sabathia said. "Right now we're just battling, trying to win games, get healthy, get everybody back and make a run for the second half."
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Sabathia left in the fourth inning of the Bombers' 3-2, 11-inning loss to the Angels in Anaheim on June 14. The Yankees once held a comfortable lead in the AL East, but have lost 14 of 20 games since and now sit three behind first-place Boston in the division.
On an All-Star Game trajectory prior to getting injured, the 37-year-old left-hander had been arguably the Yankees' best starter before getting hurt. A free agent this upcoming offseason, Sabathia is 5-0 with a 0.99 ERA over his last six starts, allowing just 28 hits and seven walks in 36 1/3 innings.
Warren, who had been out since June 16 because of right shoulder inflammation, has time and again proven to be a valuable cog in the bullpen due to his versatility. The Yankees have struggled to protect leads of late, in large part because set-up men Tyler Clippard, Chasen Shreve and, Dellin Betances have struggled with inconsistency.
Though the Yankees currently boast the sixth-best bullpen ERA in baseball (3.68), they will be more than happy to see Warren return. The veteran right-hander has allowed just a .152 batting average against, including .220 against left-handed hitters, and had not allowed an earned run in his last eight appearances, spanning eight innings, before getting injured.
The Yankees took the series opener on Monday, topping the Blue Jays 6-3.
