For the fourth time this season, Yankees veteran CC Sabathia is headed to the injured list. The culprit, as it has been in the past, is a bad knee. Sabathia won’t return until at least September and hopes to be ready for the Yankees’ playoff run in October.
Sabathia, 39, is planning to retire at season’s end. And he’d like to make his final appearances as healthy and memorable as he can.
CC Sabathia was as dejected as I’ve seen him in some time, but he plans to have his knee drained and possibly get a cortisone shot and appears determined to be back on the mound again this season. Hard to believe he would allow his career to end in this fashion.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) August 31, 2019
A frustrating feeling
According to multiple reports, Sabathia clearly was dejected Friday night after limping off the mound during his start against the Oakland Athletics.
“It’s frustrating, for sure,” Sabathia said, according to MLB.com. “Especially because I feel like I can still get outs and help the team. The hardest part is not being able to be out there, and when I am out there, I’m not performing. It’s frustrating.”
Sabathia has dealt with the balky knee for five years or so, but it’s been especially bothersome this season. He described his pain at being at “a 10,” and will get the knee drained Saturday.
Then the road to recovery begins again.
“I’m not worried about it,” he said. “I’m just going to wait until I’m healthy. Whenever that is, it is.”
Prior to today’s game, the Yankees placed LHP CC Sabathia on the 10-day IL with right knee inflammation and recalled RHP Jonathan Loaisiga (#43) from @swbrailriders.
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) August 31, 2019
Still a high-level player
Father Time is undefeated, as they say, but when Sabathia is healthy, he still can be an effective pitcher. He’s just 5-8 with a 4.93 ERA this season, but he has 96 strikeouts in 100 innings pitched, and his injuries surely have had some effect on those numbers, too.
The Yankees certainly hope to have him healthy to put on their playoff roster, one last time.
“That’s the plan,” Sabathia said. “Hopefully I can just get enough rest where it will calm down and I’m able to get back out there and throw 90-100 pitches.”
Tonight, CC Sabathia becomes the 4th pitcher in MLB history to make 20+ starts in his age 20 season (or younger) and in his age 38 season (or older):
Walter Johnson 1908 & 1926
Bert Blyleven 1970-71 & 1989-90, 1992
Frank Tanana 1974 & 1992-93
CC Sabathia 2001 & 2019— James Smyth (@JamesSmyth621) August 30, 2019
