Joba Chamberlain signs one-year deal with Tigers

A meeting between Joba Chamberlain and the Tigers at the Winter Meetings on Wednesday resulted in a one-year, $2.5 million deal plus incentives for the right-handed reliever who now gets a chance to rebuild his career in Detroit.

The Tigers see the 27-year-old Chamberlain as their answer to pitch the seventh inning and hope he can eventually handle the eighth if Bruce Rondon can’t. Rondon was shut down in late September and missed the postseason due to a strained flexor muscle in the right arm. 

They are also hoping a change of scenery will help Chamberlain regain his early career potential.

When Chamberlain debuted in 2007, he was so good many envisioned him as Mariano Rivera’s replacement thanks to a triple-digit fastball and nasty slider. However, an ill-advised plan to make him a starter didn’t work. He made 12 starts in 2008 and was jerked around under what would become known as the "Joba Rules." 

The following year he was 9-6 with a 4.75 ERA in 32 games (31 starts) but returned the bullpen in 2010 and hasn’t made a big league start since 2009.

A seemingly unending series of misfortunes and health problems plagued Chamberlain throughout his up-and-mostly-down career in pinstripes. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2011 and fractured an ankle in spring training on a trampoline in 2012.

This past season was easily the most disappointing of Chamberlain’s six as a Yankee. He missed most of May with a strained right oblique muscle and was often used by manager Joe Girardi as a mop up man. He was often booed off the Yankee Stadium mound by the same fans who were wild about him in 2007.

Late in the season Chamberlain’s velocity rose to the mid-90s consistently but the put away slider didn’t surface.

"I never saw that slider," a scout from another team said of Chamberlain’s out pitch. "He also needed to get back in shape because he was too big."

Yankee players make fake chalk outline of body mocking Eduardo Nunez's injury (VIDEO)

A day after Yankees infielder Eduardo Nunez fell to the turf in Toronto, a couple of his teammates made a tape outline of his body on the Rogers Centre infield before Wednesday night's game against the Blue Jays.

At the same spot where Nunez went down on the field, Vernon Wells and Joba Chamberlain made a mock chalk outline of the accident-prone infielder on the turf with athletic tape. There was also a wheelchair placed in front of his locker. Nunez laughed when he saw the wheelchair and immediately accused Robinson Cano and Derek Jeter of having something to do with the prank.

 "I think these guys have to be part of this," Nunez said. "For sure, I’ve got to find out. Do something, too."

"The video is funny," Nunez said of the clip (see below) of him falling down. "I know. Weird things happen to me all the time, I guess. Now it’s funny because I (didn’t) break my knee, but that wasn’t (Tuesday) night. Now I’m laughing."

The pre-game levity didn't last for long. By the end of Wednesday night, Nunez sounded more frightened than bent on prank revenge.

When Nunez tried to run in batting practice before the Yankees’ 7-2 loss to Toronto Wednesday night, pain flared up in his knee again and he was scratched from the lineup. Now he’ll be getting an MRI Thursday and the infielder is worried that he’s hurt badly enough that he could miss a few weeks.

That's no laughing matter to the depleted Yankees infield.

Joba Chamberlain nearly tackles Jose Reyes for out (VIDEO)

In case you haven't heard, football is back at Yankee Stadium. It's too bad Joba Chamberlain doesn't know that the season doesn't start for a couple of weeks.

The Yankees reliever lost his footing while applying a tag to Jose Reyes that nearly knocks the Blue Jays shortstop over during the first game the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader.

Does the struggling Joba know that the Giants are looking for a linebacker over in the Meadowlands?

'Unapologetic' Joba and 'forgiving' Mo bury the hatchet via NY Yankees' tweet and photo

A still defiant Joba Chamberlain said Sunday morning he felt “no need to apologize” to Mariano Rivera following their tense exchange in the dugout on Saturday.

Chamberlain expressed little regret for the situation, saying that even in hindsight, he would have done the same thing to the Yankees closer.

“I wouldn’t change it,” Chamberlain said. “I wouldn’t change anything I do in life. It happens, it happens. You fess up to it, you talk about it, you laugh and move on. That’s all you can do. It’s not really a story to begin with.”

Rivera and Chamberlain spoke after Saturday night’s game, then chatted again Sunday morning about the incident in which Chamberlain snapped at the Hall of Famer in full view of reporters and fans.

On Sunday, the New York Yankees confirmed that the two teammates buried the hatchet via Twitter:

"Brothers don't shake hands, brothers gotta hug."

Brothers don't shake hands, brothers gotta hug twitter.com/YankeesPR/stat…
— Yankees PR Dept. (@YankeesPR) May 12, 2013

Rivera claimed on Sunday that his admonishing teammate had indeed apologized to him.

“I’m the oldest here. I have to be the brother that has to keep the cool,” Rivera said. “It’s good. We’re all good. It’s nothing. We’ll move on.”

Things looked like they were back to normal Sunday afternoon — after Rivera shushed the Royals' bats and got his 15th save of the season while Chamberlain silently sulked in the bullpen — as the Yankees beat the Royals, 4-2.

Mariano Rivera and Joba Chamberlain exchange tense words in dugout

Mariano Rivera and Joba Chamberlain had an awkward war of words in the New York Yankees' dugout prior to Saturday night's game against the Kansas City Royals.

Rivera was talking to people about an emotional pre-game meeting with a family who lost a son when Chamberlain, in a loud voice, was trying to get somebody's attention behind the dugout, according to The New York Daily News.

Rivera asked Chamberlain to lower his voice and, in full view of fans and reporters, Chamberlain took exception to the Hall of Fame closer's request and replied several times "Don't shush me again." 

Asked about the exchange after the game, Chamberlain said, “I’m not talking about it.” Chamberlain said he hadn’t spoken with Rivera since the diss. Asked whether he felt the two — teammates since 2007 — needed to talk, Chamberlain snapped, “That’s between me and Mo.”

Rivera took the high road after the incident, although he seemed surprised that Chamberlain had admonished him in such a public setting.

“It’s amazing,” Rivera said before confirming that he and Chamberlain had not spoken since. “We’ll take care of it. We’re grownups and I know better than that. We’ll take care of that.”

Here's The News' recap:

Rivera sat in the dugout speaking with reporters before the game, Chamberlain was standing by the railing at the top of the dugout signing autographs for fans, shouting as he interacted with people in the stands.

Rivera paused during one answer and joked to reporters, “Is this guy always loud like this?”

Rivera chuckled before proceeding with his answer, but Chamberlain’s shouting continued — and may have grown even louder. Rivera seemed to lose his train of thought as Chamberlain got louder, prompting the closer to call out to his younger bullpen mate to ask him to be quiet.

“Joba! Yo! Bro!” Rivera shouted. “Shhh. Stop it.”

Chamberlain quickly replied, telling Rivera that he was talking with family.

“You do this every day,” Chamberlain said, referring to Rivera’s meeting with the media. “I don’t get to see my family every day.”

Rivera finished his five-minute interview while Chamberlain continued signing autographs, though Chamberlain could be heard telling people in the stands, “I look at it every day. I have to be quiet ... They’re doing an interview.”

As Rivera wrapped up his interview, he began to stand up from the dugout when Chamberlain looked into the dugout

“Don’t ever shush me again,” said Chamberlain — the one-time 98 mph fastball phenom. 

Rivera nodded with a bit of a smile, at which point a chafed Chamberlain — without a trace of a smile — said, “Seriously. Don’t ever shush me again. I don’t get to see my family very often.”

Rivera explained to Chamberlain he wasn't telling him to be quiet but to lower his voice.

Asked later by reporters about the incident Chamberlain said it was between him and Rivera.

In the court of public opinion — at least in Yankees Universe — we all know who's going to win this one. Gotta go with Mo.

Stick to battling midges Joba.

WWE stars take in Yankees batting practice before WrestleMania 29

The most popular lineup in the New York area this weekend won't be in Yankee Stadium or Citi Field but out in the swamps of New Jersey. With WrestleMania XXIX gearing up for Sunday's big event out at MetLife Stadium, a few of the WWE superstars came out to the Bronx to watch the Yankees take batting practice on Wednesday.

The Big Show, Kofi Kingston and and Natalya mingled with Mariano Rivera, Alex Rodriguez and Yankee legend Reggie Jackson.  Both the players and wrestlers said they were big fans of each other. Asked how he would fare in pinstripes, Kingston did what he does best — boast

"If I got to play baseball, I would probably be somewhere out in the outfield," he said. "I like to jump around a lot so you know I could jump up and rob those home runs."

Yankees right-hander Joba Chamberlain is a huge fan of both Big Show and the WWE. "We were talking and [Big Show] was like, 'If somebody threw a baseball that hard at me, I would want to fight him,'" the reliever said. "I was like, 'OK, then I guess we are not going to play catch.'"

Big Show said he was amazed at how fast the players threw the ball while just playing catch and wasn't so keen on his chances at the plate.

"My strike zone is too big,"said the 7-foot, 440-pound giant.

Youkilis at Yankees camp: 'I'll never be Alex Rodriguez'

Kevin Youkilis had his first workout with the New York Yankees Thursday and it didn't take long for the A-Rod questions to to be thrown his way.

"I'll never be Alex Rodriguez," the clean-shaven Youkilis said. "He's one of the best hitters of all time.  I can be a good major-league hitter and help this team win."

The Yankees new third baseman arrived at the Yankees' spring training camp from Los Angeles without his old facial hair and with a new batting stance.

Youkilis batted at a minor league complex and in the main facility where he met with manager Joe Girardi and coaches.

Joba still waiting for new Yankee Youkilis to return call

It wasn't long after the New York Yankees had signed Kevin Youkilis to a deal that Joba Chamberlain called his one-time nemesis to welcome him to the Bronx.

Did the former Red Sox player, who Chamberlain had a long-running feud with as their two teams battled in the AL East, ever respond?

"No," the Yankees reliever said Tuesday night at the Baseball Assistance Team fundraiser at the Marriott Marquis hotel in Times Square. "He didn't call me back."

Chamberlain — who was being honored with the Bart Giamatti Award Tuesday — called Youkilis right after the Yankees signed him to a one-year deal back in December.

"It was just, 'I'm glad you're on our team, glad you're on our side and I look forward to seeing you and hopefully we can win one over here for the good guys,'" Chamberlain said he told Youkilis' voicemail.

Youkilis — will be filling in at third base while Alex Rodriguez recovers from hip surgery — left the Yankee reliever hanging.

The two players are not exactly the best of buds — especially after Joba was suspended for two games in 2007 for firing a couple of fastballs over Youkilis' head.  Both players have said that bygones are bygones.

"If it was that big a deal, I wouldn't have been signing with the Yankees.  But I don't think it is that big a deal," said Youkilis after joining the Yankees. "A lot of it is made out within the media and the fans."

Still, it sounds like Chamberlain is getting the silent treatment.

"I'm bound to run into him at some point," Chamberlain said.  "Sooner rather than later, I'm assuming. So we'll see what happens."

Unless Youkilis picks up the old cell phone. Joba might have to wait until Feb. 20 to hug it out with his old rival.  That's when the entire Yankee roster convenes in Tampa.

Youkilis has no problem with old rival, new teammate Joba

For any fans wondering if a little something extra came with Kevin Youkilis' one-year, $12 million deal with the Yankees — namely fireworks between the new Yankees third baseman and his old antagonist Joba Chamberlain — don't count on it.

Yesterday, it sounded like Youkilis — who had officially become a New York Yankee — had put all the bad blood between the two new teammates and familiar old rivals behind him.

"It's not a big deal to me.  If it was that big of a deal, I wouldn't be signing with the Yankees," said Youkilis, who received a voice mail message from Chamberlain and plans to return it.  "A lot of it has been made bigger with the media and fans.  You look at my stats and I have been hit [by a pitch] 99 times.  There have been multiple pitchers who have hit me.  Joba has only hit me once, [last season as a Chicago White Sox].  It's not a big deal.  We are teammates now and we have the same goals of going to spring training and winning."

Much was made of Chamberlain's fastballs zipping perilously close to Youk's head during their days as opponents in the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry.  In 2007, Chamberlain threw two times at Youkilis' head and was suspended.  The next season he did it again sending Youkilis to the dirt before he started to charge the mound.  Youkilis' Red Sox teammates restrained him.

"It's not a story, it's one of those things people love to talk about," Youkilis said.  "It's a new teammate and we are going to take the field together.  When he goes out there to pitch hopefully I can play great defense behind him."

Former Red Sox teammate and one-time Yankee foe Johnny Damon eased his friend's trepidation of what it would be like to jump ship from Red Sox Nation to Yankee Universe.

"Johnny said I would love the experience," said Youkilis.  "I never thought I would be on the other side of the rivalry but I felt the New York Yankees were the best fit to try and win another World Series."

Yankees fans have got to love this guy already.

Joba reaches out to new Yankee teammate Youkilis

The biggest stumbling block in the signing of Kevin Youkilis to the New York Yankees might not have been the Indians or the Dodgers, it could have been the Yankees' own Joba Chamberlain.

There's been a lot of bad blood between the two ever since the Yankees' reliever buzzed a couple of 99-mph fastballs past his old Red Sox rival's head during his rookie year in 2007.  The following year, Chamberlain almost tagged Youkilis again.  That throw prompted Youkilis to charge the mound before he was retrained by his Red Sox teammates.

"He has great command until Youk gets in there," then Red Sox manager Terry Francona quipped about Chamberlain at the time.

So in keeping with the spirit of the season — the offseason trading one — Chamberlain attempted to be the first Yankee to welcome Youkilis to New York when he phoned the third baseman to ease the tension before the two players have to share a clubhouse.

Chamberlain's initial try resulted in leaving a voice mail for Youkilis, who will officially become a Yankee after he passes a physical.  He accepted the Yankees' offer for a one-year deal for $12.4 million Monday to fill in for Alex Rodriguez while he recovers from hip surgery.

The feud petered out over the past couple of seasons as Chamberlain saw less playing time due to injuries, but last season the reliever did plunk Youkilis after he was dealt to the White Sox.  Youk took the hit and trotted to first base without incident.

Johnny Damon, who played with Youkilis in Boston and Chamberlain in New York, doesn't expect any friction between the two during the transition.

"Joba gets pumped up, especially when he was a young player," said Damon.

Mariano Rivera, one of the Yankees elder statesmen, had only praise for A-Rod's new replacement.

"One thing I know is that the guy plays hard," said Rivera of Youkilis. "Yankee (fans) didn't like him but he was wearing a Red Sox uniform.  I can't decide for them but he will be my teammate and I have to respect him for that."

Rodriguez will be undergoing the surgery in January and the Yankees are hopeful of his return by June.  Something tells me fans aren't going to be that hopeful after A-Rod's performance during the 2012 playoffs.

Joba Chamberlain takes broken bat to elbow and leaves game

You could say it's been a frustrating year for Joba Chamberlain.  The middle reliever blew out his ankle in a gruesome trampoline accident during spring training right after coming back from a year-long rehab due to Tommy John surgery.

Another road block in the New York Yankee pitcher's comeback to glory occured during the 12th inning of Thursday night's ALDS Game 4 against the Baltimore Orioles.  The reliever added another freakish injury to his resume when the O's Matt Wieters broken bat single sent the barrel of the bat sailing to the mound — right at Chamberlain's throwing arm.  The pitcher didn't even see the sharp piece of wood shrapnel coming at him and had no chance to duck when he was hit in his right elbow.

Chamberlain's elbow immediately swelled up but he insisted on staying in the game. Manager Joe Girardi and the trainers didn't want to chance keeping their pitcher in such a crucial game — with the score tied at 1-1 — and he was removed for David Phelps.

Later, X-rays proved negative and Chamberlain's injury was listed as a contusion.

The Orioles went on to score a run in the 13th inning for a 2-1 victory and send the series into a Game 5 at Yankee Stadium on Friday night.

Joba Chamberlain shaky in first Yankees appearance in 14 months

Joba Chamberlain— who expected to pitch his final rehab game in a Double-A Trenton game before returning to the Yankees— suddenly found himself being called up to the New York bullpen instead on Tuesday.

The Yankees' righthander— who was rehabbing from June 2011 Tommy John surgery when he broke his ankle in a freak trampoline accident  during spring training this March— made his first appearance on the mound in Yankee Stadium in over 14 months.

Like a swarm of Cleveland midges, those things circling inside Chamberlain's head could have been the collective doubts that the one-time starter would return this year or ever even pitch again.

On Wednesday afternoon, Chamberlain— who vowed to return this season— silenced the skeptics and pitched 1-1/3 innings against the Baltimore Orioles to fulfill his promise, if not his potential.

Bolstered by a good outing by starter Phil Hughes (11-8) and an 11-1 lead, manager Joe Girardi saw the perfect opportunity to acclimate his comeback kid with the major leagues again.  He called for Chamberlain from the bullpen in the seventh inning.  The big rightie got a nice hand from the rain-soaked crowd but wasn't at the top of his game.  The kinks showed and he promptly gave up a home run before allowing four more hits over the five-out stint.

Joba threw 28 rusty pitches with a lot of breaking balls in  the mix.  His once 97 mph fastball hovered around the 92-93 mph range.

It was enough to get Chamberlain back into the mix.  More importantly, the 12-3 Yankees' win stopped the Orioles from sweeping the Yankees in the Bronx for the first time since 1986, halted a four-game skid and gave them a 6-1/2 game lead over the rising O's in the AL East.

After the game, Girardi had Joba's back.  "I expect him to be able to get out righthanded hitters," he said.  "He'll continue to improve as time goes on."

Joba Chamberlain hits 97 on gun; could be back soon

Joba Chamberlain is back on the New York Yankees' radar and the team has to like that the rehabbing pitcher was clocked at 97 mph in a rookie league game on Tuesday.

Chamberlain— who suffered what some doctors thought was a career-ending ankle injury only four months ago— made his first rehab appearance with the Gulf Coast Yankees and his outing, though short, was a welcome sight.

The righthander pitched one encouraging inning after suffering a bizarre trampoline accident in March after having Tommy John surgery last summer.  It was the first time the Yankees really saw their reliever since the elbow surgery and it was definitely sooner than they expected.

Chamberlain vowed to be back on the mound this season after dislocating his ankle while with his son at a Florida recreation center.

"It's the start of the rehab process, so hopefully we get him back no later than the first week of August," said general manger Brian Cashman.

The rightie faced four rookie batters from the Pirates in Bradenton, Fla..  After the leadoff batter reached second on a couple of errors, Chamberlain got a groundout before striking out the last two hitters he faced.

"It's just one outing and against a level that you can't tell much from," said Cashman.  "But that's what we know he's capable of throwing."

Chamberlain— who has been shuffled between the starting rotation and the bullpen throughout his career— would have most certainly been a middle reliever this year.  Even with the loss of Mariano Rivera, the Yankees bullpen has been surprisingly deep and efficient this season.

"I wish we had him sooner," Cashman said.  "He could have recovered from Tommy John and been with us since May or maybe June.  But we've survived without him."

Still, you can never have enough pitching.

Joba released from hospital in a special cast

A somber looking Joba Chamberlain was wheeled out of Tampa's St. Joseph's Hospital in a wheelchair with his right ankle in a special cast.

Wearing glasses and an Adidas cap covering his grim and stubbled face, the Yankees reliever didn't answer questions except if he was feeling better after the gruesome injury to his right ankle.

"Yeah," was his reply.

The one thing everyone wanted to know what were those tubes sticking out of the cast on his right foot?

According to Dr. Peter Salob, a sports medicine specialist and orthopedic surgeon in Englewood, N.J., they are most likely tubes used to pump cool water around the pitcher's ankle.

"It's definitely a more aggressive measure to treat it, but with pro sports teams, any type of injury they have , usually they will use some type of ice machine," said Salob.  "This is really critical.  With the type of injury he had, often there's a significant amount of swelling  around the ankle and that's one way to reduce the swelling."

The news that Chamberlain was leaving the hospital and was feeling better was good news for the Yankees.  After Thursday's accident while jumping on a trampoline, there was talk that the severe break was career-ending and even life-threatening.

"It's good to see him out, that he's doing well," said manager Joe Girardi.  "Obviously, the wound has to close up to get through that.  But I am optimistic that he is going to pitch for us this year, I am. And we're going to be there for him the whole  way."

The frustrated Chamberlain— who is already recovering from Tommy John surgery last year— vowed to be back on the mound by this July.

Joba tells Yankees: I'll be back on mound by July

Joba Chamberlain— two days after his ugly, life-threatening trampoline injury— told New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman he expects to be back on the mound by July.

The reliever— who suffered a gruesome injury to his right ankle during a freak accident while bouncing on a trampoline Thursday—was told that the open dislocation could end his career, but sounds positive about returning in 2012.

"He was saying he could be back on the mound by July, that's what the doctors are telling him," said Cashman, who visited Chamberlain at the hospital on Friday.  "That's the optimistic side."

Cashman, who was visibly shaken while addressing the media after the accident, cautioned that there was no guarantee that he will ever pitch again.

"As any orthopedic will tell you, you have to go through the whole process," he said.

The injury— which he suffered while jumping on a trampoline with his 5-year-old son Karter— was bleeding so severely, that eyewitnesses feared for his life before paramedics arrived at the recreation center.

His son watched in horror as blood poured from a gash where Chamberlain's broken bone tore through his skin.

The injured ankle runs the risk of infection but doctors already said the pitcher can be optimistic but realistic. If he does not have any neuro or vascular damage and the surgery is successful, he should be healthy by next season, they told The Post.

The doctors said he won't be able to do any weight-bearing activities from anywhere from six weeks to three months.  Combine this set-back with recovery from Tommy John surgery last year and the odds of returning to the mound in Yankee Stadium this summer look pretty slim.

"The way I work this stuff, my mindset is, until they're close to knocking on the door, [I don't think about it]," Cashman said.  "Obviously, in Joba's case it's still a question of when he comes back.  I just hope we're in a position where he can come back."

Cashman said he wasn't mad about the fluke injury, as he has been about other off-field injuries.

"I'm sad about it," he said.  "It's just a tragic, freak accident."

Cashman was objective and said," He was just being a father."

Will the risk-taking GM— Cashman has rappelled down a Connecticut skyscraper— forbid his players from participating in activities as dangerous as hopping on a trampoline or skiing with their kids in the future?

"It's hard to say," Cashman said.  "It's hard to tell a group of people not to be a father."

Trampoline accident could sideline Joba Chamberlain for season

New York Yankees reliever Joba Chamberlain suffered what's being called "a significant injury,"an open dislocation of his right ankle, while playing on a trampoline with his five-year-old son at a recreation park.

Chamberlain— who was coming back from Tommy John elbow surgery— suffered the injury at what general manager Brian Cashman explained was a "kid's center with athletic activities featuring trampolines," according to the YES Network.

Cashman was visibly upset as he addressed the media in the Yankees dugout at George M. Steinbrenner Field this morning, saying "Joba is in St. Joseph's Hospital right now."

"While he was enjoying time with his son under those those circumstances, he suffered a very significant injury, an open dislocation of the ankle.  He underwent a surgical procedure last night," said Cashman.  "He will be at St. Joseph's for a number of days.  I don't have a timetable for his return."

Asked if the injury was "career-threatening," Cashman replied, "I would like to think that it is not," but the GM sounded like it was serious.

"Let's keep him in our prayers," he said, "because obviously he's facing a lot right now."

Chamberlain often tweets about his son Karter and  posted a photo of the two of them together two days ago.  It was reported that his son was not hurt.

The one time set-up man who has already bounced from starter to middle reliever did not figure in the Yankees immediate bullpen plans, but this latest setback— which Cashman called "massive"— looks like it could keep him off the roster for the entire season.

Chamberlain is beginning his sixth season after making a dramatic debut in 2007.  The Yankees attempted to convert the flame-throwing righthander into a starter in 2008 and 2009 to mixed results.  The last two seasons were spent in the bullpen and in surgery rehab.

He is slated to make $1.675 million this season and will be a free agent after the 2013 season.

Phil Hughes Should Join Bullpen When He Returns To Yankees

 New York Yankees starter Phil Hughes pitched today for the first time in an organized game since April and he didn't disappoint.  The right-hander, who was diagnosed with "dead-arm" two months ago, threw 3 2/3 solid innings against minor leaguers in an intra-squad game at the Yankees minor league complex and struck out six while allowing two hits.

Hughes' fastball topped out at 93 mph and was consistently throwing in the low-90's.  He retired the first eight batters.  Good news for Hughes and the depleted Yankees pitching staff.

The New York Yankees starting rotation has turned into one of the most bizarre collection of pitchers in recent history.  It's a combination of an old work-horse, schizoid fastballer, young hopeful and a couple of old retreaded former All-Stars--one who just went down and will be replaced by Hector Noesi from the bullpen or David Phelps.  Hughes' return will add another question mark in that motley crew.

Bartolo Colon Limps Off Field And It Means More Bad News For Yankees

Just  a couple of days after the New York Yankees found out relief pitcher Joba Chamberlain would miss the rest of the season due to a damaged elbow; the team's second best starting pitcher, Bartolo Colon, limped off the slippery Yankee Stadium field with a "strained left hamstring" on Saturday afternoon.

Yankees GM Brain Cashman told the YES Network, after New York beat the Cleveland Indians 4-0,  the injury to Colon "looks like a DL situation."

Since getting swept by division rivals the Boston Red Sox, the Yankees have literally taken one step forward and two steps back when it concerns their pitching staff.

The one step forward was Ivan Nova's gutsy win against the Indians last night.  Nova needed a solid performance to save his spot in the Yankee rotation after being winless since May 17.  His continued ineffectiveness would have meant possibly coming out of the bullpen to replace Chamberlain.  Now it looks like he will be needed to fill Colon's big spot in the rotation.

The two steps backward are the injuries to Chamberlain and Colon--and they are of mammoth proportions.

Joba Chamberlain's Dad Claims "Rules" Didn't Help Prevent Son's Injury

In 2007, three young pitchers represented the future of the New York Yankees starting rotation and dominance over the American League for years to come.  Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain and Ian Kennedy were the building blocks to a new dynasty after the Core Four were gone.  Now, only four years later, all three may have seen their better days with the Yankees prematurely slip away for one reason or another.

Chamberlain and Hughes were considered so indispensable, Kennedy was the one traded to Arizona in the Curtis Granderson mix before the 2010 season.  He is now enjoying an All-Star season with a 6-2 record and 3.14 ERA with the Diamondbacks.

The other two fastballers stayed behind and the Yankees tried to figure out what to do with them.

Both pitchers were shuttled to-and-from the bullpen to the starting rotation and the team set limitations on the hard-throwing pitchers' innings.  They became known as the "Joba Rules."

The Joba Rules were put in place to limit pitcher's time on the mound and protect the young hurlers' arms.

Now, even with all the coddling, it looks like Chamberlain's season is over, with Tommy John surgery is on the horizon, for an elbow injury--which could keep the 25 year-old Chamberlain out until the 2013 season-- nobody saw coming.  Nobody except one person.

Yankees Joe Girardi: The Joba Ruling Is Official

The New York Yankees knew their starting rotation was shaky at best when the season started and placed a lot of faith on their back end relievers, Rafael Soriano and Mariano Rivera, to pick up the slack.  The real question was who would be the bridge between the starters and Soriano.  Last night manager Joe Girardi made it clear Joba Chamberlain is officially the team's seventh-inning specialist.

The much-maligned and oft-shuffled Chamberlain, who arrived to spring training camp 25 pounds overweight and seemed like a long shot to even still be on the team, has pitched well enough in two chances in the seventh inning in the Yankees first four games to be awarded the spot.

Girardi, who likes to assign his relievers set roles, is loaded with one of the deepest bullpens in the league.  Chamberlain's name has been dangled about as trade bait for a long time, but he has made the most of his three appearances early in the season.

For now it looks like Chamberlain, who has been a starter, eighth-inning closer and set-up man since coming up in 2007, has the security of a new official job title.

"Right now, that's what we're doing," said Girardi.  "We love the way he threw the ball in spring training."

Even if Chamberlain didn't hear about it from Girardi, he seemed thrilled that the bouncing around is over.

"It's an honor and a privilege to have that role and, to know that with the arms we've got down there, they have enough confidence in me to get guys out."

Chamberlain has retired all six batters he's faced in  the seventh inning this season and threw nine pitches in last night's 1-2-3 seventh to help the Yankees beat the Minnesota Twins.

Confidence had become a problem for righthander over the past few seasons and Girardi's pat-on-the-back can only help Chamberlain overcome that obstacle.  No more insecurity or guessing what his role on the team would be.

"I never really got into a routine," said Chamberlain.  "This is the first time in spring training in 4 1/2 years where I've had the opportunity in spring training to do exactly what I was going to do in the season."

Girardi said, "[Pedro] Feliciano is not healthy for us.  There might be situations where you bring in both of them in for an inning.  Feliciano to face a couple of lefties and Joba to face a rightie.  But Joba has the ability to get lefties out, as well as righties."

The Joba Rules.  Once, it was about about limiting Chamberlain's pitches.  Finally, it's about getting an official role on the team.