NEW YORK _ CC Sabathia will come off the injured list and make the first start of his final season on Saturday against the White Sox at Yankee Stadium. For a Yankees team that has battled injuries and poor performances from its other two left-handed starters, it's not a moment too soon.
For example: J.A. Happ was charged with six runs in four innings-plus against the White Sox on Friday night at rainy Yankee Stadium in the Yankees' rain-shortened 9-6 loss. It was called with one out in the top of the seventh after Chad Green allowed back-to-back homers by Eloy Jimenez and James McCann.
Happ, who has an 8.76 ERA in three starts, was staked to leads of 4-1 and 5-3 but left with the score tied at 5 and a man on first in the fifth. Jonathan Holder then gave up a two-run homer by Jimenez, the first career home run by the well-regarded rookie.
Before Friday's game, Sabathia said: "We have capable guys that can step up and do the job." But that hasn't happened yet for the Yankees. James Paxton, their other left-handed starter, is 1-2, 6.00 in three outings.
The day started off somberly with the news that catcher Gary Sanchez became the 12th player to go on the injured list. Sanchez has a left calf strain.
Sabathia's return on Saturday will drop that astounding number to 11. He started the season with a five-game suspension for his role in a brawl with the Rays last September. He then was placed on the 10-day injured list as his spring training began late after offseason knee surgery and a heart procedure.
Sabathia, 38, announced in spring training that this will be his final season. But don't expect him to get all weepy about it until it's over.
"It's hard to kind of take steps back and look at it like that," Sabathia said. "I'll just be ready to try to get everybody out for the White Sox tomorrow."
That's something Happ was unable to do. The first pitch he threw was hit by Leury Garcia to the centerfield wall for a double. Three batters later, the White Sox had a 1-0 lead on a single by Yonder Alonso.
But the Yankees went ahead 4-1 by scoring two in the first on a two-run single by DJ LeMahieu and two more in the second on an RBI single by Austin Romine and Aaron Judge's sacrifice fly. Brett Gardner tomahawked a home run to right field with two outs in the fourth to give the Yankees a 5-3 lead.
But two-run homers by Alonso off Happ and Jimenez off Holder gave the White Sox a 7-5 lead.
