D-Rob Activated, Phelps Sent Down

The Yankees activated David Robertson from the 15-day DL today. To make room on the roster David Phelps was optioned down to Single-A Tampa. He will stay in Tampa until he builds up his arm strength and is then set to join the SWB Yanks starting rotation. Phelps went 1-2 with a 2.94 ERA in 13 games for the Yanks.

D-Rob Set To Return on Friday

From Wallace Matthews:

Fresh off his second rehab appearance on Tuesday in Rochester, David Robertson is scheduled to rejoin the Yankees today in Atlanta, although he will not be activated until Friday's game against the Nationals in Washington.

"He's fine,'' Joe Girardi said. "We just want to make sure he feels OK, and if he is, we'll activate him on Friday.''

Great news for a team that seems to be hitting their stride. Matthews reiterated taht Soriano will remain in the closers role while Robertson will take over setup duties and for a team with the best record in the AL, I'd say that's the right move.

Gardner Not Expected To Return By All Star Break

From George A. King III & Mike Puma:

At this rate it would be viewed as a positive if the Yankees got Brett Gardner back immediately after the All-Star break.

For the second time in a month, Gardner experienced a problem following a minor league rehab game and nobody knows when the left fielder will be healthy enough to return to the big leagues this year.
Gardner last played for the Yankees on April 17 when he suffered a strained right (non-throwing) elbow.

“He woke up and had pain [Saturday],’’ manager Joe Girardi said of Gardner, who went 1-for-3 Friday night for Single-A Charleston. “He will see the doctor and that’s all I got for you until we find out what is going on. Obviously it’s a setback.’’

Gardner will be examined by Dr. James Andrews tomorrow or Tuesday and see Dr. Timothy Kremchek on Thursday.

Gardner felt something on May 10 playing for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Friday was his first rehab game since then.

When Gardner had the first setback, Girardi had an idea what would happen if a second one surfaced.

“I said if he had another one I thought it would be after the All-Star break [July 9-12],’’ Girardi said. “So there are concerns.’’

In other Yankees injury news, David Robertson will begin a rehab assignment on Sunday with the SWB Yankees.

Soriano Expected to Remain Closer After D-Rob Returns

From Jon Heyman:

The Yankees intend to keep Rafael Soriano as the closer even after David Robertson's return from the disabled list, people familiar with their thinking suggest.

Soriano has been brilliant as the Yankees' third choice to close and is six for six in saves with an overall ERA of 1.96 now. Robertson, the Yankees' shutdown set-up man, would resume his set-up duties upon his return, which is expected to be in about two weeks. Robertson has a strained left oblique muscle.

Robertson has been brilliant for the Yankees as their eighth-inning guy, but one scout said, "He didn't look quite as comfortable closing games.'' Robertson was the initial closing choice after Mariano Rivera was lost with a freak knee injury.

I am 100% in favor of this decision. Closing is all about comfort level and Robertson was not comfortable in that role. On the other hand, Soriano has done it before, and as he's already shown, he can handle the job.

Encouraging Workouts For Gardner & Robertson

From Bryan Hoch:

Brett Gardner and David Robertson inched one step closer to coming off the disabled list on Monday, working out at the Yankees' Minor League complex in Tampa, Fla.

Gardner took dry swings to test his strained right elbow and Robertson played catch without feeling any discomfort from a strained left oblique, which is encouraging news for a Yankees club that is looking forward to their respective returns.

"Everything went well, so they'll move on to whatever they have to do tomorrow," manager Joe Girardi said.

The Yankees have ruled out the idea of Robertson rejoining them on this road trip, making his earliest possible return date June 5 at Yankee Stadium against the Rays. Robertson hasn't pitched since May 11.

Girardi said that Gardner, who hasn't appeared in a big league game since April 17, will need to play in a few Minor League rehab games before the Yankees can seriously consider activating him.

Gardner's best-case scenario would be 10 days away, but the Yankees figure to be cautious because any further setback could mean they would be without the speedster until the All-Star break.

Good news for the Yanks. Unfortunately for them, they don't play the A's everyday so they're going to need these guys if they plan on continuing their move up in the standings.

Robertson's Return Put on Hold

From George A. King III:

There was a time last week when it appeared David Robertson had a chance to come off the disabled list next weekend against the Tigers.

However, with the right-handed reliever reporting to the Yankees’ minor league complex in Tampa on Thursday to start a throwing program that will be followed by minor league rehab games, Detroit isn’t a destination for Robertson.

“Not at all,’’ general manager Brian Cashman said.

Robertson hasn’t pitched since May 11 due to a left rib cage problem.

Not the best news, and yes I know it's two days old (sorry), but at least they're on a little winning streak now thanks to the A's horrible hitting. Also, Soriano has begun to settle into the closer's role, which is obviously a huge boost for this team and makes this delayed return much easier to deal with.

D-Rob to the DL

From the AP via USA Today:

Robertson was placed on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday with a strained muscle in his left ribcage. The right-hander was working as the fill-in closer for Rivera, who is likely to be sidelined the rest of the season after tearing a knee ligament on May 3.

Robertson finished five games this season and was 0-1 with a 2.51 ERA and one save. He had not pitched since Friday because of discomfort in his ribcage, an injury diagnosed Tuesday as a strained oblique muscle.

"We don't think it's too severe, but it's hard to tell," manager Joe Girardi said. "Obliques can be tricky. We expect him not to pick up a baseball for probably seven to 10 days, and then we'll see where we are after that."

To fill out the bullpen, New York recalled right-hander Cody Eppley from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Is anyone else starting to feel like sooner or later everyone is going to end up on the DL?

Hey, Guess What? More Injuries!

Here's a rundown of the most recent rash of injuries to hit the Yankees clubhouse via Marc Carig:

RHP Ivan Nova, sprained/bruised right ankle and foot, X-Rays negative The 25-year-old took a comebacker to his right ankle in the third inning and rolled the same ankle while making a defensive play in the sixth. After the game, Nova said his ankle was swollen and still in pain, though he didn't want to miss his next start. Of course, he may not have a choice in the matter.

"That's a possibility," Girardi said of scrubbing Nova's next outing. "We’ll have to be smart about it and make sure he’s OK."

...

RHP David Robertson, left oblique/rib cage soreness, tests scheduled for today Technically, Robertson's injury didn't take place last night, but rather during his last appearance on Friday. Robertson, working in a non-save situation, first felt the soreness during his outing. He iced the area and felt it again the next day. At that point, he notified Girardi, who has made Robertson unavailable since.

...

LHP Clay Rapada, head cold, viral infection Rapada finished his relief outing yesterday but had to be helped back into the clubhouse.

...

LF Raul Ibanez, hit by pitch on left elbow Girardi believes Ibanez will be sore. But Ibanez didn't seem concerned and said he'd be ready to go. Of course, he too is likely not to play today with the Orioles starting left-hander Wei-Yin Chen.

...

1B Mark Teixeira, bronchial inflammation Even though he began taking new medication to treat his condition last week, Teixeira said it has had no effect so far. He'd be more likely to heal if he were willing to take some time off. But after hitting a critical two-run homer last night, Teixeira said he had no interest in taking days off.

These injuries are very frustrating but better to have to deal with them earlier in the season, rather than later on when they can really hurt you. Nothing here seems too serious, which is obviously also a good thing.

D-Rod Update

Good News For D-Rob

From Mark Feinsand:

The Yankees got some good news Friday afternoon, as the second round of tests showed nothing more than a bone bruise on top of Dave Robertson's right foot.

“It’s a huge relief,” Joe Girardi said. “I got worried when they said there was a cause of concern, but obviously this is good news.

“When they tell you there’s a cause for concern you’re thinking there could be something broken or who knows what it could have been? I saw him walk out yesterday; I wasn’t real encouraged when I saw him walking. This is as good as it gets for us.”

Roberton will wear a protective boot until Sunday and then ease back into things. It is expected that he'll miss around two weeks. The Yankees are also fairly confident that he'll be on the active roster on opening day.

D-Rob Hurts Foot Falling Down Steps

From Anthony McCarron:

David Robertson, one of the most valuable pitchers on the Yankee staff and a potential heir apparent as closer if Mariano Rivera retires after this season, could miss a chunk of spring training with what the Yanks are calling a "mid-foot sprain."

Robertson stumbled down the stairs while moving boxes Wednesday night and injured his right foot, the one he pushes off the mound with, Joe Girardi said Thursday morning. Girardi first said Robertson "fell down the stairs" but later said "he missed a step."

Initial X-rays were negative, but Robertson was also scheduled to have an MRI on the foot and the Yankees were awaiting those results Thursday. Robertson was wearing a walking boot when he went to the hospital, Girardi said.

"I'm concerned," Girardi said. "By the way I saw him walking today — it hurt him to walk — you assume he's going to be down a little time, even if everything comes back OK. That doesn't mean he wouldn't have time to get ready for the season, but he'll have to start over a little bit. Not totally, but a little bit."

Girardi added: "If you're going to miss him for a substantial amount of time, you're going to be concerned. If he's going to be out a week or 10 days, you're probably not going to be too concerned about that."

Given that Robertson has a mid-foot injury, Girardi acknowledged, "everyone's going to assume Lisfranc. Obviously, I think you have to be concerned about that. There was no swelling and that's a positive sign to me, but who knows. I think he was more sore underneath. We'll have to see."

Well, that's not good. Hopefully it's nothing too serious and at least it happened now and he'll have some time to recover.

Yanks Avoid Arbitration With Joba and Robertson

From Andy Martino:

The Yankees on Tuesday avoided salary arbitration by agreeing to one-year contracts with a pair or relievers whose careers veered in markedly different directions last year, David Robertson and Joba Chamberlain.

...

CBS Sports first reported that both contracts were worth approximately $1.6 million.

The Yankees had already avoided arbitration with righthander Phil Hughes, agreeing on Monday to a one-year, $3.2 million deal. The team’s other arbitration-eligible players, catcher Russell Martin, outfielder Brett Gardner and lefthander Boone Logan, await resolution.

Robertson a Finalist for Marvin Miller Award

What is the Marvin Miller Award? Why should I care? From MLB.com:

The award is given to players who "inspire others to higher levels of achievement by their on-field performances and contributions to their communities."

Selected from a list of 30 players, the six finalists will have their names placed on the 2011 Players Choice Awards ballot to determine this season's Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award winner. Ballots will be distributed to all Major League players Sept. 13 and Sept. 14, when KPMG conducts the league-wide, players-only voting .

[snip]

The winners of the 2011 Players Choice Awards will designate charities to receive grants totaling $260,000 from the Major League Baseball Players Trust. The Players Trust has contributed more than $3 million to charities around the world.

All snark aside, it is a very prestigious award in support of a very noble cause. It tends to fly under the radar, and I cannot help but feel that it should be touted to a much greater degree - particularly when the good that so many players do tends to be overshadowed by scandals.

Here's the bit on Robertson:

In May, the Yankees pitcher and his wife, Erin, established the David and Erin Robertson Foundation to raise relief funds and lend support to local charities helping those affected by the storms in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Robertson donates $100 for every batter he strikes out this season through his High Socks for Hope campaign.

Robertson thanked his supporters on Twitter, and you can read about High Socks for Hope here.

Good luck, David!

Follow me on Twitter - @DomenicLanza

News & Notes: CC, Swish, Robertson

- During his dominating performance against the Rays this afternoon, CC Sabathia was named an All-Star, replacing today's game's loser, James Shields. CC, however, will not travel to the game since he's ineligible to pitch because he started today.


- David Robertson was also added to the team and will be at the game. He's replacing yesterday's Rays starter, David Price. That makes 8 Yankees to make the team.

Nick Swisher sat again today, but does expect to return to the lineup after the ASB. “I feel good (Sunday), but we’ve got three days (of rest) coming up too so I don’t see the point of rushing it,” Swisher said. “Either way, I’ll just get back after the break.

Robertson Had Back Spasms

From Bryan Hoch:

Dave Robertson went for a MRI today, showed no structural damage. Unavailable w back spasms.

And that's why Chad Gaudin came in for the 7th.

The Improved Bullpen (Based on Random Sample Sizes)

Before jumping right in with some numbers, I'd like to point out two things. First, I am well aware of the perils of dealing with small sample sizes and selecting random periods of time (particularly when said selections are biased). Second, I believe the first point is sort of moot, as relievers are incredibly volatile ... so no sample size is safe.

David Robertson, since May 8
34.2 IP, 27 H, 20 BB, 40 K, 1.82 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 1.764 WPA, 2.36 FIP

Boone Logan, since May 23
19.0 IP, 12 H, 6 BB, 18 K, 1.42 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 0.494 WPA, 2.62 FIP

Joba Chamberlain, since July 28
8.0 IP, 2 H, 3 BB, 6 K, 0.00 ERA, 0.63 WHIP, 0.260 WPA, 2.83 FIP

Sergio Mitre, as Reliever
22.2 IP, 12 H, 7 BB, 13 K, 2.38 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 0.127 WPA, 4.27 FIP

Kerry Wood, with Yankees
7.0 IP, 6 H, 4 BB, 9 K, 1.29 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 0.134 WPA, 4.63 FIP

Robertson and Logan have been quite good since their early season woes - I'm not sure that there are many that would dispute this, either. Robertson's control isn't quite where I'd like it to be, but he's striking batters out at a tremendous clip (10.4 K/9) and has been garnering weaker contact as the year has progressed. Logan's been better, as well, since Girardi began using him as something of a lefty specialist (as opposed to cannon fodder against righties) - I really can't fault his performance in any reasonable way.

Chamberlain and Mitre are sort of difficult to deal with. I, for one, feel that Chamberlain still has it in him to be a fantastic pitcher. This may be confirmation bias, but he has been excellent over his last few outings and, despite his unsightly ERA, his strikeouts and walks have been solid throughout the season. Many Yankee fans, myself included, still dread the thought of Mitre in the rotation ... but he's done well in the bullpen. Granted, I wouldn't want him in a high-leverage situation - but I think he's done better than a mop-up type of reliever at the same time.

Wood is, in my mind, the very definition of volatile. Brilliant in 2008. Up and down in 2009. Mostly down in 2010. That being said, he's done well with the Yankees. His control's a bit off and he did allow a blast of a home run, but his stuff looks fantastic ... and being out of the closer's role (and looking for his next contract) could work wonders for Wood.

Marte's set to return soon. Aceves's set to return soon. Albaladejo looks like a completely new pitcher. And Rivera's been his brilliant self. While the bullpen's been something of a roller coaster ride this season, I cannot help but feel that a corner has been turned ... and I feel comfortable when Girardi motions for a reliever going forward.

A Warning For Joba?

From The Daily News (hat-tip to WasWatching):

It hasn't been a banner week for Yankees reliever Joba Chamberlain. First he was voted the most overrated player in Sports Illustrated's anonymous poll of major leaguers, and Saturday he got the first hint from Joe Girardi that his job as Mariano Rivera's primary setup man could be in jeopardy.

While complimenting righthanded reliever David Robertson, who struck out the side against the Rays on Friday night, Girardi put Chamberlain on notice.

"I'm not saying on a daily basis I am going to change our eighth-inning guy, but you have to earn your roles here," Girardi said. "And we evaluate on a daily basis."

I don't know about all of you, but I'm sick of Joba and his 5.79 ERA. Robertson has been better lately (Last four outings: 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 4.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K), and according to Girardi, it's due to a recent minor adjustment he made:

"It's really good to see," Girardi said. "Since he made a little adjustment, he's been throwing the ball better."

I think it's time to give Robertson a shot.

David Robertson Leaves Game With Mild Back Strain

UPDATE: According to Girardi, Robertson is day-to-day, and said the injury probably had something to do with that line drive he took off his back against the Twins.

UPDATE: According to Michael Kay, Robertson left the game with a mild back strain. At least it's not the arm.

David Robertson left today's game with an injury of some sort. He had thrown seven pitches and didn't appear to be showing any signs of an injury. Dave Eiland made a mound visit, a few moments later Eiland called on the trainers and Robertson was taken out. More to come as soon as I find out.

Yanks May Call Up Melancon To Help Bullpen Issues

Chad Jennings is reporting that the Yankees will likely call Mark Melancon up from Triple-A Scranton, but they're waiting to see if tonight's game can be played before they make the move. He also says that Boone Logan or Greg Golson could be heading to Scranton to make room on the roster.

With the exception of Sunday's game, both Joba and Mo have looked good at the end of games, the problem is getting there. The loss of Alfredo Aceves has really started to take its toll on the pen. David Robertson has been better lately, but still isn't the same pitcher we saw most of last year. He's walking 6.17 batters per nine compared to 4.74 last year, and his homers are way up, from 0.82 per nine last year to 2.31 so far in 2010. He also has relied on his fastball a lot more this year, throwing it 78.1% of the time, compared to 68.7% last year. Batters may be sitting on his fastball, and that could be causing the jump in homers.

Besides Robertson's struggles, the Yankees have no idea what they have in Chan Ho Park. He had a couple good outings before hitting the DL, but overall has been a disappointment. And Damaso Marte and Logan have both been ineffective.

The bullpen is an issue right now, there's no doubt that. But it has been like this in each of Joe Girardi's first two seasons as manager and each time he found a formula that eventually worked. Hopefully, Melancon can pitch well at this level and help the pen find itself. Other pitchers to keep your eye on are Jonathan Albaladejo and lefty Royce Ring, who have both pitched well for Scranton this year.

Fun with BABIP Regression

As I'm sure most of our dutiful readers already know, small sample sizes are often quite perilous, and cannot be trusted. There are countless reasons for this, and I don't think anyone really has the time or energy to dredge their way through a somewhat exhaustive list - and I'm sure that I don't really want to write it. That being said, BABIP is the quickest, dirtiest explanation for the issues with small sample sizes. With that in mind, I thought that I would look at a few Yankees who are bound to see a drastic change in their performance as their respective BABIPs regress to the mean. To do that, I'll compare their BABIPs to their expected BABIPs (xBABIP).

The Risers

Mark Teixeira

• BABIP - .221
• xBABIP - .322

Regressing Teixeira's BABIP to the mean would add a staggering .078 points onto his batting average, raising it from .189 to .267. While that may not be on-par with the Teixeira that we know and love, it's much more palatable, at the very least. It's also worth noting that his HR/FB is about eleven percent lower than his career norm, meaning that a real coming out party should be right around the corner.

Curtis Granderson

• BABIP - .262
• xBABIP - .353

I'm hoping that this will at least temporarily stymie the hindsight patrol in regards to the dealing of Austin Jackson (whose BABIP is around .150 higher than expected). Regressing Granderson's BABIP to the mean results in his average jumping from .221 to .282. Assuming all singles, Granderson's triple-slash line would be .282/.352/.436. While that's still a bit below what we'd all like to see, it lends an iota of hope, at the very least.

David Robertson

• BABIP - .556
• xBABIP - .227

Robertson is my dark horse for the dreaded 'Heir to Mo' discussion… and he's seemingly becoming darker and darker by the day. This, however, makes me feel a bit better. Robertson's batting average against stands at .408 - regression drops it all the way down to .190. Factor in his improved control and still dominant strikeout numbers and there's still a whole lot to like here.

The Fallers

Phil Hughes

• BABIP - .162
• xBABIP - .247

Luckily, Hughes' xBABIP is still very low - he simply hasn't been hit too hard too often this year. His batting average against would rise to a still stellar .157 (it's .124 now) with regression, which leaves me feeling pretty confident. The more pressing concern, in my mind, is his HR/FB (sitting at 3.3%, league average tends to be 10%) and his LOB% (87%, tends to be closer to 72%).

Marcus Thames

• BABIP - .556
• xBABIP - .262

This is the small sample size to end all small sample sizes… but I really don't like Thames, and I'm really worried about him lumbering around left field for the next couple of weeks. A bit of regression with Thames drops his average from .458 to .167. Here's hoping his luck continues.

Robinson Cano

• BABIP - .365
• xBABIP - .338

Breathe deep Yankee fans - it's going to be alright. Cano's swing data doesn't show him as making a flukish amount of contact or anything of the sort, so this career year does appear to be for real. His HR/FB is unsustainable, but he's hitting a ton of line drives, which means the hits should keep coming. Regression would drop his average to .355… I'll take it.

I must note that this is far from an exact science - nothing ever goes exactly by the numbers in baseball. Zack Greinke maintained a 4.5% HR/FB in 2009. Joey Votto sustained a .372 BABIP (fifty points higher than his xBABIP). The likelihood of these things happening isn't terribly high, but, with the exception of Thames, nothing here is really an impossibility.