If you were hoping to see CC Sabathia take some swings Sunday in San Diego, you’re out of luck.
Joe Girardi decided to bump the lefty back a day to avoid any potential mishaps that might strike, especially because Sabathia already is dealing with a sore right ankle.
Sabathia instead will start in Chicago against the White Sox Monday and Chad Green will go in San Diego.
“If we can avoid CC having to run the bases and hit [we will],” said Girardi, who referenced Sabathia’s injury suffered in Milwaukee in 2014, when he ended up with fluid in his knee and didn’t pitch again the rest of the season.
It also gives the Yankees the added benefit of pushing Masahiro Tanaka back a day, as the right-hander has been significantly more effective with an extra day’s rest this season.
While they likely can’t afford to do that very often the rest of the season, it figures to help before the All-Star break.
As for Green, he was just selected to the Triple-A All-Star Game, thanks to a 1.54 ERA with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He made a start against Arizona on May 16 and was hit hard, giving up six runs (four earned) in just four innings.
Girardi is confident Green will be better this time around.
“His secondary stuff has continued to improve,” the manager said.
Carlos Beltran wasn’t in the starting lineup because of a tight hamstring, but he did pinch hit in the seventh. He walked and was immediately replaced by pinch-runner Starlin Castro.
“My guess is he won’t be a starter [Friday],” Girardi said of Beltran for the game in San Diego, where the Yankees won’t have a DH.
Because of Beltran’s injury, Alex Rodriguez started a second straight game against a right-handed pitcher after being benched earlier in the week.
Rodriguez delivered two sharp singles to center, the first off A.J. Griffin and the second off another righty, Shawn Tolleson.
Girardi sounded like he would think about playing Rodriguez versus right-handers once they have the DH again on Monday.
“You have to evaluate it,” Girardi said. “You also have to evaluate where Carlos is. Obviously, [Rodriguez] is not a starter the next three days, but we’ll see where we’re at after that.”
Brian McCann played despite nagging patella tendinitis. McCann said it “flared up” for the first time this season in Wednesday’s win, when he homered twice.
“It comes and goes,” said McCann, who went 1-for-4. “Sometimes worse than others.”