Pineda Shut Down

We have waited all season for Michael Pineda, and now it appears that we will have to wait some more. Stiffness in his right shoulder will slow his return by another ten days. According to Brian Cashman, the Yankees simply want to get him through the season without additional injury difficulties.

“I don’t know if you’ll see him or not this year,” Cashman explained. “The doctors told me ‘Yes, you can see him this year.’ Will we see him? I don’t know. And is that what’s best? I don’t know.”

Manager Joe Girardi seemed a little more optimistic. Of course, he usually does.

“Pineda just had some tightness, he said. “The tests came back good, the strength was good. He’ll be shut down-my guess is seven to 10 days.”  His minor league numbers on the year are 2-1 with a 3.32 ERA.

The stiffness came during Pineda’s game for Scranton Wilkes- Barre last Friday. This resulted in his tests in New York.

Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

So if Pineda can make it to the Yankees rotation, the question becomes- is it too late to make a difference? My contention is of course not. Sure, it’s looking bleak for the division title, but the Yankees still have a good shot at the wildcard.

They play 162 games, and  then the advantages of winning the division really aren’t that great. Even with the new format, getting to the playoffs is still the key. Think about it,  a wild card slot would mean the Yankees got things together well enough to make the run. And that would mean the late season additions would have come through.

Look at the glass as half empty if you want to, but not me. If all of that takes place, the Yankees can go far in the postseason. Just as sure as it appeared earlier in the season, when they were in first place with one of the best records in baseball.