August 31, 2008
by Chris Lima
River Avenue News

Good news for Yankees fans; Joba Chamberlain may be activated by the Bombers as early as tomorrow, according to reports from the Associated Press and mlb.com.

Joba threw a session (35 pitches), the first time he has faced live batters since suffering a right rotator cuff injury August 4th against the Texas Rangers. Cody Ransom and Brett Gardner were the lucky two that got "volunteered" to face Joba.

It is still unknown as to Joba's role with the team; either back in the rotation or anchoring the bullpen.

With a recent string of quality starts, Pavano's job seems safe for now. Sidney Ponson has struggled of late, so Chamberlain could bump him from the rotation. Rasner has pitched well, but has been the bearer of bad luck in recent weeks.

The Yanks look to take down Toronto in the last game of the series and travel to Detroit to face the hapless Tigers.

Bryan Hoch, a writer for MLB.com, wrote an article yesterday about Joba being concerned with re-injuring his left hamstring, an injury that sidelined him for a month at the beginning of the 2007 season. Here's a quick blurb, and if you're interested in reading more, click here.

Chamberlain ready, available in 'pen. Yankees give right hander two days off after heavy work load.

CLEVELAND -- Yankees right-hander Joba Chamberlain felt that familiar sensation in the back of his left leg, and warning bells might as well have gone off in his head.

When Chamberlain slipped in the wet clay of the mound at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago on Thursday, the memories of a strained hamstring that delayed the opening of his 2007 season flashed back quickly. Chamberlain tweaked his left hamstring pitching that eighth inning against the White Sox, so when the Yankees came at him with two consecutive days off, he was in no position to argue.

"[The injury was in a] different spot, but it took a month and a half," Chamberlain said Sunday. "I didn't start [for Class A Tampa] until May 7. I knew exactly what it was because I dealt with it all last year. It wasn't anything serious at all, but you just want to make sure it's OK. I don't want to go out and create anything. It could be a little achy when I go out on April 26 and be out until June."

One day after the Yankees were rather secretive with Chamberlain's availability, instead using Kyle Farnsworth and Ross Ohlendorf in the late innings of a 4-3 loss to the Indians, Yankees manager Joe Girardi said that the 22-year-old right-hander would be ready to go in a similar situation if needed Sunday.

"He's available," Girardi said. "As I said [Saturday], he wasn't going to pitch because of how much we've used him. We were giving him two days off."

Hank Steinbrenner, son of Yankee owner George Steinbrenner, has made his feelings perfectly clear as to where and when Joba should be pitching; rotation. Here's an excerpt from an article that recently ran on ESPN.com:

We understand why Hank is doing what he's doing. He's trying to make a name for himself, separate himself from Papa Steinbrenner. In doing so, however, Hanky will inevitably continue to draw comparisons to his father.

Vicious cycle continues....

Steinbrenner outspoken about Chamberlain's future place with Yankees

"I want him as a starter and so does everyone else, including him, and that is what we are working toward and we need him there now," Steinbrenner told the New York Times. "There is no question about it, you don't have a guy with a 100-mile-per-hour fastball and keep him as a setup guy. You just don't do that. You have to be an idiot to do that."

Through Sunday's games, the Yankees stand at 10-10 and are closer to the bottom of the AL East than the top. New York is three games behind division-leading Boston and just 1½ games ahead of cellar dweller Tampa Bay.

Steinbrenner also took issue with how the Yankees handled Chamberlain's situation last season, before he was in a position to make changes.

"The mistake was already made last year switching him to the bullpen out of panic or whatever," Steinbrenner told the newspaper. "I had no say in it last year and I wouldn't have allowed it. That was done last year, so now we have to catch up. It has to be done on a schedule so we don't rush him."

To continue reading this article, click here.