Wang Will Likely Hit the DL

From the Newark Star-Ledger:

Thirty minutes after Jorge Posada noticed something was wrong with Chien-Ming Wang, the pitcher was on his way to Columbia University Medical Center for an MRI.

In a season that has been defined by injuries, ineffectiveness and uncertainty, Wang is frustrated once again.


And the worst part? It looked like Wang was finally returning to the dominant pitcher he once was for the Yankees.

"I thought today was probably his best start," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "That's the unfortunate thing. He really had it going. But it's something we're going to have to deal with."

The MRI revealed that Wang has a right shoulder strain and bursitis. It's likely he will be placed on the 15-day disabled list in the coming days.


This really is too bad. Chien-Ming Wang was having a wondeful start up until he was yanked. 5.1 innings, 4 runs on 6 hits, plus 11 groundballs.

I said after his win against the Mets to give Wang a few more starts. See what he does against the AL before the All-Star Break, then assess where he is. He handled the tough Toronto lineup pretty well today, but what else can he be judged on now?

He had Minnesota and the LA Angels coming up. He'll miss those starts, leaving us in the dark on how he will perform against the top teams in the Majors.

Taking Wang's next start will not be Phil Hughes or Alfredo Aceves, both of whom are currently not conditioned to go several innings.

Brett Tomko could be an option. Also, Sergio Mitre and Kei Igawa are waiting in AAA-Scranton. In just over 30 innings, Mitre has struck out 23 batters, so he may get the nod.


--Max Caster