Yankees' Dilemma

Baseball's season is a series of peaks and valleys for each team. The New York Yankees stumbled from the gate in April, rode high in May and stagger into July. A 4-12 stretch (including a gift from the Mets' Castillo) has left them four games behind arch-nemesis Boston in the AL East. The numbers don't tell the story. Injury issues to key cogs point to an ominous future. Let's hit the links to glean some insight:

• " no further tests were scheduled for Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia, who left his start against the Marlins with what he later termed as left biceps tendinitis. But as manager Joe Girardi points out, tests could be put on the slate on Monday."
  And so begins the waiting game--(NJ.Com) Why would the Yankees not test immediately?
• "Sabathia said he didn't believe a heavy workload last year (a major-league-high 253 regular-season innings and making his last four starts — including an NLDS outing — on three days' rest) with the Brewers late in the season caused what Dr. Dan Kanell diagnosed Sunday as tendinitis.
  "No, that's not it," Sabathia said of the Brewers, who knew their chances to retain the free agent hurler were slim, riding him hard down the stretch, something Sabathia volunteered for. "It could be the 120 pitches this year."
  In three of Sabathia's 15 starts he has thrown 122 (April 16), 119 (May 2) and 123 (June 11) pitches. His staff-leading 1,568 pitches are sixth among MLB hurlers and his 102 innings are fifth.--(Fox Sports) Three months into a seven-year deal, questions no Yankee follower wants to think about hit the fan.
• "Ultimately, it’s not his call,” Cashman said in a telephone interview. “It’s the manager’s call in consultation with the medical staff. If there’s any concern, then he won’t start.”--(Sun Herald.com) Cash's comments are interesting in the context of the following report regarding A-Rod's delicate condition:
• "the decision came Friday during a conference call between Rodriguez; general manager Brian Cashman, team co-chairman Hal Steinbrenner and club medical personnel. The report said manager Joe Girardi apparently did not take part in the call.--(Sporting News) Be very afraid Yankee fans.
• "“I think we have everything we need in front of us here,” Cashman said Monday. “If I can get Wang fixed and Bruney and Nady and Ransom come back, we have a very good team that’s hard to improve on. It doesn’t mean we won’t try. But I’m focused more on getting what we have fixed. That might be good enough.”--(NY Times) So the Yankees' "fixer" will get to work on CC, A-Rod, Damon, Matsui, Wang, Bruney, Nady, etc. The Yankee universe is brimming with confidence.

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