Yankees baseball blog

Joba to have season ending Tommy John surgery

A review by DR. James Andrews of Joba Chamberlain's most-recent MRI results confirmed what the Yankees already believed: Their key setup man needs Tommy John surgery.

Chamberlain, who was diagnosed with a torn elbow ligament by team doctors Wednesday, will undergo season-ending surgery performed by Dr. Andrews next Thursday, Joe Girardi announced before Friday's game against Cleveland.

"I was pretty settled that he was going to have the surgery," Girardi said. (continue)

Joba to DL

Yankees reliever Joba Chamberlain characterized Wednesday's assignment to the disabled list as a form of risk management. "Not serious," Chamberlain insisted. Merely a nagging stiffness on the inside of his pitching forearm to be rested.

"Just one of those things where you say, 'Let's see what it is and stop worrying about it,' " Chamberlain said. "There's no pain. I can do whatever I want. It's just that, when I'm done throwing, it gets tight.

"That was the biggest thing for me. I mean, I'm a hypochondriac when it comes to being hurt because, knock on wood, I'm not hurt very often. So just trying to take the doubt out of my mind of what's going on, I decided to say something." (Continue)

Joba back and looking good

Is Joba Chamberlain ready to turn the clock back to 2007?

Spring training results can often be deceiving, but the radar gun doesn't lie. Chamberlain hit as high as 96 mph during his 13-pitch outing Tuesday, consistently spotting his fastball throughout his inning of work against the Orioles.

Chamberlain allowed a solo home run by J.J. Hardy on a poorly thrown curveball, but his blazing fastball was hard to ignore, evoking memories of the 21-year-old who took New York by storm late in the '07 season. (News)

Joba out

 The Yankees' low level of concern about Joba Chamberlain's injured oblique just got a little higher.

Manager  Joe Girardi said Tuesday that team doctors in New York were looking over an MRI Chamberlain had on Monday. He last pitched Friday and is on hold until further notice.

"Whenever a pitcher -- or anybody -- is dealing with an oblique, there's always concern," Girardi said. "He's been asymptomatic, but he hasn't thrown . . . It's one thing to feel OK, and it's another thing to go through the [pitching] motion and feel OK." (Newsday)

Joba is heavier, next question

CC Sabathia's weight loss was a major topic of Day 1 of camp Monday as the Yankees' ace openly discussed how a big guy got smaller.

Joba is a big guy who got bigger in the offseason and he shut down conversation on the topic Wednesdaythe way Sabathia did on his opt-out clause.

"This is the last time I'm going to answer this question," Chamberlain said evenly. "I know you guys have to ask it. I feel great. I'm stronger, physically. I'm better in my bullpens, right where I was at the end of last year."

General manager Brian Cashman all but repeated word for word his responses to Newsday on Tuesday when first asked about Chamberlain's weight, listed at 230 in last season's postseason media guide but more than that now, as all involved admit.

"He's obviously heavier," Cashman said. "That's as much as I'll say."

Is one of the goals to have him lighter by the end of camp?

"He's heavier and we'll just leave it at that," Cashman said. (Newsday)

Joba turning into Jabba? No it's muscle

 When he saw Cliff Lee sign with the Phillies in December and Andy Pettitte retire last week, Joba knew talk of his going back into the rotation was inevitable.

"I don't know if that debate's ever going to stop," Chamberlain said Wednesday.

General manager Brian Cashman has said, unambiguously, all winter that the Yankees won't be looking in that direction. But it still has been a topic, and likely will continue to be as long as there are rotation holes.

"I knew it was coming, especially with us not signing those guys,''Chamberlain said of the questions. "I guess you take it with a grain of salt. Cash said what he said, that's his opinion, and he's a big part of our organization. So I have to take my role and embrace it and try and be the best I can to help us win another championship.'' (Newsday)

Joba gets it done

OK, so can we stop with all the pretending now? Joba Chamberlain proved Tuesday night that he can still own the eighth inning, so it seems about time for Joe Girardi to give him the ball and get out of the way.

For some reason, either motivation or a lack of faith, Girardi has been reluctant to designate Chamberlain as his primary setup man for Mariano Rivera. Tuesday night he wouldn't turn a one-run lead over to Chamberlain in the eighth inning against the Red Sox, going first with Dave Robertson and then Damaso Marte, and it nearly cost him. Continue

Joba not a lock for 8th inning role according to Girardi

Unlike with the fifth starter's job, the Yankees are comfortable going into the season without delineating a primary set-up man for Mariano Rivera.

It had been believed that if Joba Chamberlain failed to win the last rotation spot, he simply would become the main eighth-inning reliever. But manager Joe Girardi has said publicly that Chamberlain must earn that position, and several Yankees officials insisted to The Post that is not just said for effect or as a motivational ploy toward Chamberlain, a player the organization does worry about when he gets too comfortable. Continue

Joba's role for 2011 unknown

- Brian Cashman insists he's not a fan of engaging in hypothetical situations. The Yankee GM's most trusted lieutenant, though, did exactly that.

As did his pitching coach.

So Cashman had to put out a Joba Chamberlain organizational fire yesterday, addressing the never-ending debate surrounding Chamberlain's starting/relieving status.

On Saturday, Yankee senior director of pro personnel Billy Eppler, who's emerged over the past few years as Cashman's most trusted lieutenant on player personnel matters, said on WFAN that he doubted Chamberlain -- currently a reliever after losing the fifth-starter race last week -- would even be in the rotation derby next season. Continue

Joba can go 2 for Girardi

Joe Girardi admitted yesterday that Joba Chamberlain’s experience as a starter might allow him to be more of a multiple-inning reliever at times.

“I think it’s something you can look at,” Girardi said. “A lot of that will depend on the group as a whole and how they’re doing and how he’s doing. But that’s something [Mariano Rivera] did, and Mo did it very well in ‘96. Probably as good as it’s ever been done. But because he is stretched out, he has the ability to do that.”

Girardi, however, said he “would probably look to use [Chamberlain] more in a traditional sense,” because the Yankees have enough good alternatives that they wouldn’t want to ask too much of one. Continue