Less Than Zero

When it rains, it pours. Jorge Posada, Alex Rodriguez, and now Phil Hughes. I almost titled this rant "Le$$ Than Zero", but I am lamenting, not complaining. The Yanks have certainly been beset by the injury bug of late, but how one battles adversity is the true test of championship character.

Jose Molina. Now catching for New York, JoMo is good enough to be a starter for many clubs. Instead, he rides the pine, waiting for an opportunity. He calls a good game, and can throw out attempted base larceners, and can deliver a timely hit or two. Not a Wally Pipp situation by any stretch of the imagination, and we'll certainly miss Jorgie, but we can still win.

Morgan Ensberg. Morgan should be in his prime, but his career has gone into a shocking decline in the last several years. That's how we got him on the cheap, and while he won't make anyone forget Senor Rodriguez, we could do a lot worse. For example, Wilson Betemit.

Strained oblique. That situation bedeviled Bobby Abreu for a good chunk of last season, until he cleared up and got things going, about the time the Yanks did pretty much the same thing. Phil Hughes has a strained oblique, and has gone on the 15 Day DL. We're short on promise as a result [except Ian Kennedy has plenty of promise], but actual production? Phil hasn't won a game yet this season. Darrell Rasner, who started off with promise last year, but suffered a broken finger from a line drive and gallantly attempted to pitch through the pain, has been light's-out down on the farm. I could be completely mistaken, but when Phil is back to normal, I look for him to rejoin the team [after sundry rehab assignments in the minors], and Ras to remain on the big club, with Ian Kennedy being farmed out. Nothing personal, IPK: a control specialist being too fine is essentially unarmed. Take yer lumps with yer vitamins, and come back ready to roll in September. No time to panic, but TWO rookie pitchers who have combined to win zero games in a month? Something's gotta give. The door's open for Rasner. We really need him to take advantage of the opening.