MRI is clean but next start up in air
TORONTO — CC Sabathia was emotionally down after injuring his right knee on Tuesday night, but an MRI taken on Wednesday surprisingly came back clean. “There’s no new damage,” Joe Girardi said.
It’s unknown if Sabathia will still require a DL stint. The manager wouldn’t totally rule out the 37-year-old lefty making his next start, which would be on Sunday against Boston.
The Yankees plan to see how Sabathia is when they return home on Friday.
Sabathia tweaked his knee sometime in the third and felt “pain.”
“We’ll let the doctors handle that through some medication and see if we can knock that out, because to me that’s key,” Girardi said. “The key for him has been bringing stability back in the knee, and the brace has been a big part of that. But when you’re landing and you have pain every pitch, you’re going to have a hard time.”
If Sabathia can’t go, Jordan Montgomery is the leading candidate to be brought back from TripleA Scranton. The 24-year-old rookie southpaw is slated to start for the RailRiders on Saturday.
The Yankees are 13-6 in Sabathia’s 2017 starts, but he’s posted an 8.10 ERA over his last three outings.
Sabathia missed about three weeks earlier in the season due to a left hamstring strain.
HEY A-A-RON
Aaron Hicks (oblique) is expected back on Fri- d a y against the Red Sox, Girardi said.
Hicks hasn’t played since June 25. He homered during a minorleague rehab game with Double-A Trenton on Wednesday.
Greg Bird (ankle) and Starlin Castro (hamstring) are both expected to begin minor-league rehab stints sometime next week.
DOWN GOES FRAZIER
Clint Frazier was a late scratch from the lineup due to oblique tightness.
He will undergo an MRI on Thursday. Frazier said he has been feeling it for a few days. “I’m not too concerned, honestly,” Frazier said. Joe Girardi added: “I don’t think it’s really significant.”
GOING FOURTH
Didi Gregorius hit cleanup, with Girardi wanting to separate his righties.
Hot-hitting Headley was in the No. 2 hole.