"I've pitched through a lot of stuff, but there was no way. No way,'' said Pettitte, who at 38 is off to one of the best starts of his 16-year career. "Normally, I can pitch through anything but I was hurting pretty bad.''This creates a huge void in the Yankees rotation, and with just a three game lead over the Rays, that void needs to be filled by someone that can actually get the job done. So yea, Chad Gaudin should not be that guy.
Pettitte was taken to New York Presbyterian Hospital for an MRI, which revealed the Grade 1 strain, the mildest form of the injury. Considering Pettitte's age and history -- he suffered the same injury in 2001, missing 15 days -- the Yankees expect his recovery to take at least a month.
Pettitte said he can't remember the 2001 injury well enough to estimate the severity of Sunday's ailment. Pettitte pitches with a particularly long stride, and he said that, given his mechanics and his age, he would treat this injury with caution.
Later, I will look at some internal options to replace Pettitte.
