Yankees, AJ get pummeled by first place Rays - but that's not the bad news

AJ Burnett looked terrible last night against the Yankees' only competition in the AL East, losing 10-6 in the Bronx. It was another lackluster performance by the Yankees as a whole, soring some garbage runs after the game was well out of reach. AJ was terrible, Boone Logan was worse, and Mark Melancon hopped right on the suck train himself.

With all that being said, it was one game of 162 (or 19 if you want to talk about the ridiculous amount of times they are forced to play divisional opponents). The real news in the Yankees Universe is that Jorge Posada has a hairline fracture in his foot, and could be out up to a month. Up until now, the Frankie Cervelli bandwagon was a cute little idea. Now, Yankee fans and followers wake up this morning looking to the kid to be a stabilizing force for a struggling pitching staff in a more long-term capacity. Look, I love Cervelli. He plays his balls off, and handles himself behind the plate. Do I think he is a starting catcher on a championship team? Maybe, if the heavies are hitting. But wiith a lineup that is already depleted (Winn and Thames in the outfield!!11!!!!1), the Yankees could really use Jorgie's bat right now.

Mind you, I am not all doom and gloom. Frankie has handled the bat in limited time this year, and that could continue. Hell, the only reason he got reps last year at all was that Posada and Molina got hurt, and that team did OK. However, Posada is, in my opinion, one of the most underrated offensive players in the league and replacing him in the lineup is no small feat. So, cue the crazy rumors about everyone who has ever hit a home run in the Major Leagues. I beg the beat writers, please do not force me to read about Jermaine Dye and Pat Fucking Burrell.

Uh Oh

(Elbows shouldn't do that anyway)

After another 5 stellar innings against the lowly Orioles today, Andy Pettitte left pre-maturely with elbow stiffness (at his age, he should be happy when anything gets stiff /rimshot). While the Yankees went on to win the game, this serves as a reminder of just how fragile the 2010 season is in the Bronx. While speculation will run wild, let's take a look at what the Yankees could be faced with if Andy is truly hurt (and he doesn't reach for the magic needle to get back early).

So, let's say Pettitte hits the 15 day DL. Basically he would miss two starts, with Sergio Mitre in line to take his start on Tuesday after following him up today. Then, because of a built-in off day, he would miss just one more start before returning to make his scheduled start on the 21st against the Mets. To me, this is the move. If he is going to (probably) miss the first start, give him the second start off. While he has been great thus far, the innings that Andy Pettitte throws in May are not the reason that he was re-signed. And after seeing Javier Vasquez fold like origami every time out thus far, the Yankees could be in dire need of vintage Andy Pettitte come September.

OK, no more phallic jokes

The Yankees announced yesterday that Chien Ming Wang will undergo season ending surgery on his right shoulder today. This is the capper to what has been a horror show of a season for Wang. We here at The Balls wish only the best of luck to him in his recovery. Maybe he can ask the surgeon to do something about the terribly pained faces that he sports upon every release.

Not. Good.

According to WFAN's Sweeny Murti, Jorge Posada is headed for his third DL stint since signing his ridiculous free agent contract before the 2008 season (hat tip to PeteAbe). As we all witnessed last season, this could prove to be a devastating blow to the Yankees, especially at a time when Posada's bat has helped carry those off to slow starts (coughMarkTeixeiracough).

With the generally awful Francisco "I am not really Italian" Cervelli the only other catcher on the 40 man roster, a move will most definitely have to be made. The options in AAA are equally as terrifying, with three no stick Kevin Cash, Chris Stewart, and P.J. Pilittere. So what now?

As I perused MLBTR for the available free agents, I found the answer. Paul LoDuca, though aging, is a four-time all star who has dealt with the perils of New York. I know his best days are behind him, but over his career he has thrown out a respectable 30% of baserunners, while showing a bat that surpasses that of Jose Molina. LoDuca did end up in the middle of his share of controversy, but who are we to judge his affinity for chasing underage tail?

At the end of the day, this move is FAR from ideal, but I would rather eat sushi off of Robin Williams' nude body than be forced to watch Molina take four at bats every game for a month.

Be careful what you wish for...

In a report on his blog, PeteAbe has said that there are rumblings that Xavier Nady needs surgery on his throwing elbow, and may miss the remainder of the season.

After the Yankees acquired Mark Teixeira, there was a contingent of fans, bloggers, and writers that endorsed trading Xavier Nady. It was the wrong move then, and the reasons why may now become clear. Now that Nady may be lost for the year, the depth of the Yankees outfield is taking a significant hit. With Damon, Gardner, and Swisher being the assumed starters, light hitting Melky Cabrera becomes the undisputed fourth outfielder, and the backup at all three outfield positions. Obviously this is not as favorable a scenario as having Nady/Swisher coming off of the bench.

With minor league options like Shelly Duncan and Todd Linden, and the vomit-inducing thought of Hideki Matsui with a glove on his hand, this could prove to be a sizeable detriment for a championship-caliber team.

F*ck.

According to a report from ESPN Deportes, Alex Rodriguez's brother has been telling people that the third baseman is scheduled to have hip surgery to remove a cyst. He went on to say that it will take A-Rod out of action for 10 weeks. After doing math quietly in your head like I just did, you will realize that that timeframe will include up to the first 6 weeks of the season.

This could be the worst possible news for a team that NEEDS to get off to a good start. After the money that was spent this offseason the pressure is immeasurable on people like Joe Girardi and Brian Cashman, and losing the best player in the world does not bode well for either of them. I don't care how high Cody Ransom can jump, he's just not enough.

So here's hoping that the report from a sometimes-right news source obtained from A-Rod's sister's-gardener's-college roommate is inaccurate.