Minor League Pitching Updates

Thanks to some prominent beat writers, we have updates on the status of several Yankee pitching prospects that are rehabbing, injured or changing levels:

Phil Hughes - Hughes is only able to condition at this point, and he is still in the process of healing. He's scheduled for an x-ray later this month, and is now wearing glasses. (source)
Future Role: MLB rotation

Jeff Karstens - Karstens tossed three innings in an extended spring training game over the weekend and is scheduled to pitch five innings today. If he does well, he'll start a rehab assignment with Trenton or Scranton. (source)
Future Role: Triple-A rotation, possible long man

Humberto Sanchez - Sanchez is currently throwing off a mound and will likelky see live action in early June. According to Sanchez, his breaking and off-speed stuff is coming along nicely, but he is unsure about his velocity. (source)
Future Role: MLB bullpen

Andrew Brackman - The Yankees 2007 first-round draft pick is still rehabbing after undergoing Tommy John surgery nine months ago. He's currently throwing fastballs off a mound, but will not see any live action this season. (source)
Future Role: Single-A rotation (2009)

Alan Horne - Horne is ready to rejoin the Triple-A Scranton rotation after throwing in a simulated game yesterday in Tampa. According to Horne, the session went great, and he feels ready. There is no official word on when Horne will rejoin the S/WB Yankees. (source)
Future Role: Triple-A rotation, MLB bullpen

Daniel McCutchen - Staten Island Advance beat writer David Waldstein and Trenton Thunder manager Tony Franklin both feel that McCutchen is capable of pitching at a higher level, and could probably help strengthen the big league pen thanks to his aggressive approach on the mound. McCutchen has posted a 2.52 ERA and 46/15 K/BB ratio in 50 innings this season for Double-A Trenton. (source)
Future Role: MLB bullpen

J.B. Cox - Cox was promoted to Triple-A Scranton yesterday, and if he fares well at this level, he'll probably be in New York before the All-Star break. Splitting time with Single-A Tampa and Double-A Trenton, Cox threw 12.2 innings wit ha 1.98 ERA. He is primarily a ground ball pitcher, so don't expect a high strikeout rate, but he has terrific control on his sinker, and his slider is a plus pitch as well. Cox missed the 2007 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. (source)
Future Role: MLB bullpen

Mark Melancon - Melancon was promoted to Double-A Trenton yesterday in order to replace Cox in the bullpen. Like Cox, Melancon missed the 2007 season because of Tommy John surgery, but he's put up great numbers in the Florida State League (20/6 K/BB, 2.84 ERA in 25.1 IP). According to reports, Melancon's makeup, composure, work ethic and attitude are off the charts, and many feel that it will be this (combined with his outstanding control) that will help make him the heir to Mariano Rivera's throne. He'll need to impress at the Triple-A level before he gets a big league promotion this season, but odds are he'll end up with the Yankees in mid-July. (source)
Future Role: major league bullpen (2008), major league closer (2010)

Kevin Whelan - Whelan made his season debut for Single-A Tampa last night and tossed two scoreless innings, allowing one hit, striking out one and walking one. Whelan has not been able to pitch this year because of a sore elbow, but if he can improve on his control, he might a future as a major league reliever. (source)
Future Role: Triple-A bullpen (2009)

Kennedy to rejoin Yankees

I guess the Yankees were really unimpressed with Kei Igawa's performance last week. According to George King, the team will promote Ian Kennedy so he can start against the Mets on Friday.

Kennedy will make his second Triple-A start of the season against Indianapolis (Pirates) tonight, and will probably join the Yankees shortly thereafter. Last week, IPK shut out the Charlotte Knights (White Sox) for 7.1 inning, striking out eight and allowing one hit. Indianapolis is a stronger offensive team than the Knights, thanks to the likes of Andrew McCutchen and former Yankee Kevin Thompson, so if IPK can carve through their lineup, it'll be a good indication that he is ready for the bigs...again.

Meanwhile, Ken Davidoff reminded his readers of the teams that were interested in Kei Igawa last season, and Joel Sherman wrote about the Yankees' preference of Igawa over Ted Lilly two winters ago. I wonder if the Yankees can still get anything for him? If they shipped him to a National League pitching-starved team, they might be able to get an average prospect. Maybe if Shawn Estes does not work out for San Diego, they show interest in Igawa again. The Nationals could also be another option. Just don't expect to get much for him.

Edit: Now it appears that Kennedy will start on Thursday against the Rays instead. Rasner will start the first game of the subway series.

Update (8:30 PM) - Kennedy tossed one inning tonight, and the only hit he allowed was a single from prospect Andrew McCutchen, who was later caught trying to steal second. Kennedy threw 12 pitches, 7 for strikes. I think it would have been a good idea to let him go for at least one more inning, but I suppose the Yankees want to keep him rested so he'll be ready to roll against Tampa.

(photo credit: milb.com)

Albaladejo to the DL

Reliever Jonathan Albaladejo was placed on the 15-day disabled list after last nights loss, complaining of soreness in his right elbow. He's schedule to take an MRI sometime today.

"It just felt like a needle going in my elbow," said Albaladejo, acquired in December from Washington. "Kind of like a burn. It's all in the back (of the elbow). Hopefully in a couple of weeks, I can be back."

"I knew that I had a chance to stay pretty much the whole year now," he said. "It's really disappointing this happened to me now." (source)

Chris "Pong" Britton will rejoin the Yankees in the wake of Albaladejo's injury. I really hope Britton gets a chance to stay with the Yankees for a solid month of play, he might be able to help strengthen the pen.

Believe it or not, he really enjoys being on the Yankees, or at least he did at this time last year. I remember seeing him around the S/WB clubhouse, proudly wearing his pinstriped bathrobe that the Yankees gave him during his first promotion of the season.

Yanks looking at Boomer?

I sure hope not. But according to the New York Post, David Wells thinks he could help the Yankees' rotation, and Hank Stienbrenner has briefly thought about brining in the lefty:

"I've thought about it. I saw him on TV, and I did think about it when I was watching....You never know," Steinbrenner said...[Wells] hasn't come up in conversation, but I've had so much other [bleep] to deal with lately." (source)

Wells claims that he's in good shape and feels that he'd be an asset to the team, but frankly, the Yankees are better off with Rasner and a polished Kennedy. Jeff Karstens will also be ready soon, but the point is that the Post was making something out of nothing here. The Yankees would not likely sign Boomer, but it would be cool to see him draw a big crowd to Scranton. Can you imagine the transition from San Diego to Tampa to Scranton? Jeez.

Pinstripes, Pa. discount on Yankee tickets

For those of us who don't have much cash, good seats at Yankee stadium are the daydream equivalent of meeting Superman, dating Scarlet Johanson or scoring the winning goal for Manchester United. Thankfully, eSellout.com owner Dave Pierce approached me about a deal for Yankee fans. If they use the name of this blog, pinstripespa, as a promotional code, they can save an extra 5% on tickets.

Just in case you were wondering, eSellout has tickets to the final Yankees/Red Sox series of the season, the All Star game, and deals for every MLB team. They also have tickets for the NBA, NHL, NFL, NASCAR and NCAA sports. You can also get theater and concert tickets from all of the hottest bands and spectacular shows. So, if you need tickets for something, and want to save 5%, be sure to use pinstripespa as the promotional code.

Heyman: Yankees have best shot at Teixeira

SI's Jon Heyman wrote a nice article on Mark Teixeira and the teams that will have the most interest in him this off season. He also listed the Yankees as the team with the best chance to sign him.

No shot they bring back Giambi and his .150 batting average for $26 million next year. The $5-million buyout will be the best money they've ever spent. The Yankees are believed to be interested in Teixeira and also interested in keeping him away from the team that plays eight miles to the south, in Queens. (source)

I'd welcome that move. Teixeira can help a club with both his glove and bat, and he would add more punch to an already solid lineup. He'll cost the Yankees a tremendous amount of money, probably something like $200 million, but the Yankees will be able to afford it.

Update: Tony at Bronx Liaison mentioned that Mark's sister lives in Hoboken, and he loves hanging out there. This could come down to a Yankees/Mets battle. Obviously I'm biased, but I think Teixeira's appreciation of Don Mattingly will help the Yanks out here.

Heyman also notes that if Jorge Posada has difficulty behind the plate and is forced to DH, the Yankees may look into releasing Jason Giambi.

S/WB Yankees Notes

I met with Eric Duncan and Matt Carson today in the clubhouse after batting practice, and got a chance to observe a few things.

Nick Green took some grounders at third, and he looked solid at the hot corner. I never realized he had such a strong arm and fast release. If it wasn't for his offensive struggles this season (and my bias toward Alberto Gonzalez) I'd say Green would be a great candidate for a utility player.

Matt Carson took some nice swings during batting practice, he really has the talent to make solid contact. I liked what saw, and I think he has the tools to one day be a fourth outfielder.

Kei Igawa has not yet been officially notified whether or not he'll be starting this weekend. Obviously the Yankees will need him, but I guess the fact that he was not officially promoted was distressing. My guess is that Jonathan Albaladejo gets sent down.

Most importantly, Eric Duncan looks great. He's lost a ton of weight (in the ballpark of 20 lbs.) and added some muscle. He also seems really energetic and happy, which I took as a sign he is maturing as a ball player. He obviously made the most of his baseball free off season. Aside from that, he's putting together a solid start, and if he improves against lefties, he could have one of his best seasons yet. I still think he could be a productive major leaguer, and he continues to be one of my favorite prospects in the system.

The recently signed JD Closser appears to be a great clubhouse guy. After batting practice, he called over some of the guys to watch some internet videos, "My New Haircut" was one they all enjoyed.

Yankees may look at Lowe for '09

The news is about a week old, but I haven't exactly been to good with the updates lately. Anyway, according to Tony Massarotti of the Boston Herald, the Yankees are reportedly interested in Derek Lowe, and give him a strong look this off season.

Now in the final season of a four-year, $36 million contract he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers after the 2004 season, Lowe will be a free agent again in the fall. While there are already indications that the New Yor will be among Lowe’s suitors during the offseason, the pitcher will have a most obvious strength when it comes time to sit at the bargaining table: Durability.(source)

As durable as Lowe has been in the past three seasons, the Yankees would be foolish to think that a 36 year-old pitcher wouldn't show signs of wear and tear. While I'm generally against the idea of signing older pitchers to expensive deals, but I think Lowe could actually be an asset to the Yankees in a relief role. I don't think he'll actually take that position, so lets just hope the Yankees move on to C.C. Sabathia.

A-Rod will not rehab in Scranton

According to Peter Abraham, the Yankees have outline the rehab plans for Alex Rodriguez, and he wont be making a stop in Trenton or Scranton. I was hoping to get a chance to meet him, but I may have better luck with Posada in about three or four weeks. Anyway, here is the info from Peter Abraham:

The tentative plan for A-Rod is to fly to Tampa on Thursday and pick up the pace of the workouts at the team complex over the weekend.

If all goes well, he would play for Single-A Tampa on Monday and Tuesday then rejoin the Yankees on Wednesday.

The Single-A team team is home on Monday and Tuesday and the Yankees are in Florida to play the Rays for four games starting on Monday. Given that the Yankees are playing in Florida, it would make little sense for A-Rod to go to New Jersey or Pennsylvania for rehab games.

The Yankees have their best trainers and rehab guys in Tampa as well.

The plan makes a lot of sense, so I have no complaints. I really hope A-Rod's bat heats up upon his return, the Yankees could really use an extra offensive boost if Kei Igawa is in the rotation for an extended period of time.

Kennedy allows one hit in shutout win

Ian Kennedy is making the best of his demotion, and after throwing 7.1 innings of one-hit ball, he may be back in the Bronx soon. Kennedy was perfect through 5.2 innings against the Charlotte Knights, and struck out eight in the 4-0 win.

Chad Jennings posted a great post game quote from IPK on his blog. You've got to love this guy's confidence and attitude:

"I just felt like I could do no wrong. Whether it was 2-0, I didn't care, I could place a fastball away. I've been working on it every start, getting my mind set in the big leagues. I felt like I was getting better every time. It just led up to this. It was inevitable for me to do well. It was just a matter of time." (source)

I think Kennedy will end up making three or four more starts for Triple-A Scranton before getting recalled, but todays start was definitely a great sign. The Yankees need to get his confidence back, and in turn, Kennedy needs to get his personal feel for pitching back. The demotion was the best thing for both parties, and it appears as though it will pay off. Let's hope his next start is just as smooth.

On another note, my internship with the Scranton Times officially ended today, and I'll be starting my work for Pinstripes Plus tomorrow. I'll be hunting down Eric Duncan and Matt Carson tomorrow afternoon, and I'll be sure to let you know if I hear anything exciting.