Bruney may be ready by ASB; Good read on Melancon

According to Ed Price of the Newark Star-Ledger, Brian Bruney is recoverin from his Lisfran injury quite quickly and could be ready to pitch again by the All-Star break. He's been cleared to play catch at 60 feet by a hospital specialist. Bruney will be a big help to the pen if he can pitch the same way he did earlier in the season. If he proves to be healthy and effective, wave goodbye to Latroy Hawkins.

Meanwhile, Tyler Kepner put together a nice read on future closer Mark Melancon (pronounced Mel-An-sun) who could be ready to make a big jump soon. Melancon thinks he's ready at least, and I believe him. I just hope he gets a brief stint in Scranton so I can interview him.

Now that Joba is a starter for the time being, the Yankees will need to find a solid group of relievers. J.B. Cox, Mark Melancon, Brian Bruney and David Robertson could all help, and if Humberto Sanchez can recapture his control after missing a season, there is a small chance he could be a late season boost. Either way, the tandem of Cox and Melancon should be more than enough.

I'll be interviewing four draft picks today, so don't expect many updates, but I plan on doing a little recap of some of the better picks of the day.