ARLINGTON -- One day later, Joba Chamberlain has results but no answers.

 

Chamberlain underwent an MRI on his stiff right shoulder Tuesday in New York, but the Yankees did not immediately announce what that exam showed. The team revealed only that Chamberlain will travel to Birmingham, Ala., on Wednesday to receive a second opinion from renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews.

 

"You're always careful with your players," manager Joe Girardi said. "You don't ever want to jeopardize their long-term health. You're talking about a 22-year-old kid."

 

Chamberlain left Monday's start against the Rangers after 4 2/3 innings with stiffness in his right shoulder, complaining of a "grabbing" sensation in his deltoid muscle. The Yankees flew him to New York early Tuesday morning for a series of tests with team physician Dr. Stuart Hershon.

 

Seeking a second opinion on the results of those tests, the Yankees will turn to Dr. Andrews, a shoulder specialist and one of the game's leading practitioners of Tommy John elbow ligament replacement surgery. They employed Dr. Andrews earlier this year for a second opinion on Jorge Posada's right shoulder strain, which ultimately required season-ending surgery.

 

The Yankees won't reveal more information on Chamberlain until they hear Dr. Andrews' second opinion.

 

"I wouldn't necessarily look anything into it," Girardi said of the visit. "Dr. Andrews is a pretty renowned doctor, so a lot of guys go see Dr. Andrews, and we'll see what comes of it."

 

Girardi and his training staff learned of Chamberlain's injury during the fifth inning Monday, removing him from the game after a brief conference on the mound. Though Chamberlain does have a history of muscle strains in college and the Minor Leagues, this is his first shoulder injury of note.

 

He will miss at least one start, yet the Yankees have not made a decision regarding any potential stay on the disabled list. Such an assignment would cost Chamberlain at least three turns in the rotation, and possibly more.

 

Nor have the Yankees made a decision regarding a replacement starter, which they will need for either Friday or Saturday in Anaheim. Dan Giese is scheduled to start Friday, and the Yankees could slot Darrell Rasner on Saturday without making a roster move. But should they need to use either Giese or Rasner out of the bullpen this week, then they could promote a Minor Leaguer -- most likely Ian Kennedy -- to start one of those games.

 

After that, the Yankees remain unsure. Only once Dr. Andrews reports back on the severity of Chamberlain's injury will they reveal their plan of action, and their estimate on precisely how much time Chamberlain might miss.

 

"I think we're all hopeful," Girardi said. "We hope that we don't miss him very long, and we'll get him back on the mound as soon as he can."

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20...sp&c_id=mlb

Pitchers cringe at the mere mention of Dr. James Andrews.

 

 

He's fine.. let him pitch.

"You're always careful with your players," manager Joe Girardi said. "You don't ever want to jeopardize their long-term health. You're talking about a 22-year-old kid."

 

If only he was careful with our pitchers in 2006. :mis2

I don't remember our players complaining about pain while pitching in 2006. It just happen.

I don't remember our players complaining about pain while pitching in 2006. It just happen.

LIES!

Pitchers cringe at the mere mention of Dr. James Andrews.

 

 

He's fine.. let him pitch.

when ever i hear his name i know its not good. He like the universal pitchers doctor.

I am sick of hearing about Joba Chamberlain. Only player I have ever seen get a 3 minute long video package for his second MLB start, when his first start was not very good. He is one of the few players I wish failure on-not injury though-as he is just incessantly pushed down everyones throats.

ARLINGTON -- Though their worst fears have not been realized, the Yankees must proceed under imperfect conditions. The team officially placed Joba Chamberlain on the disabled list Wednesday with right rotator cuff tendinitis, assuring that he will miss a significant chunk of the season.

 

General manager Brian Cashman released an update early Wednesday evening, revealing Chamberlain's diagnosis to club officials in Texas. Chamberlain will spend approximately the next week resting in New York, before commencing a throwing program shortly thereafter. He will not rejoin the team in either Anaheim or Minneapolis.

 

The Yankees recalled reliever Chris Britton to fill Chamberlain's roster spot and announced plans to recall Ian Kennedy for a start on Friday.

 

"You have to move on," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "That's the only thing you can do in this case."

 

Chamberlain left Monday's start against the Rangers after 4 2/3 innings with stiffness in his right shoulder, complaining of a "grabbing" sensation in his deltoid muscle. The Yankees flew him to New York early Tuesday morning for an MRI with team physician Dr. Stuart Hershon, and then to Florida on Wednesday for a second opinion from Dr. James Andrews.

 

The diagnosis was right rotator cuff tendinitis, the same injury that sidelined catcher Jorge Posada for the entire month of May. Posada eventually returned but never regained full strength in his throwing shoulder, undergoing season-ending surgery on a right shoulder strain last week.

 

The Yankees can only hope that Chamberlain won't suffer a similar fate.

 

"To be quite honest with you, you can't sit here and hang your head about it," shortstop Derek Jeter said. "Hopefully, it's not something that goes for an extended period of time."

 

Chamberlain, 23, was 4-3 with a 2.63 ERA, and 3-1 with a 2.76 ERA since becoming a starter in early June. He joins fellow Yankee starters Chien-Ming Wang and Phil Hughes on the disabled list.

 

Kennedy also spent part of this season on the disabled list but recovered and has been pitching for Triple-A Scranton since early June. There, he has posted a 3-0 record and 1.33 ERA over his past four starts, giving the Yankees reason to believe he might be an able sub for Chamberlain. Kennedy posted a 1.89 ERA over three starts last September, providing further hope that he might excel on Friday.

 

"Obviously, he wouldn't make that start if Joba wouldn't have gone down," Girardi said. "But we're expecting him to come up and pitch the way he did in September."

 

Though Dan Giese was originally slated to start on Friday, the Yankees pushed him back to Saturday so that they could use him in relief at some point this week.

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20...sp&c_id=mlb

Girardi strikes again!

I am sick of hearing about Joba Chamberlain. Only player I have ever seen get a 3 minute long video package for his second MLB start, when his first start was not very good. He is one of the few players I wish failure on-not injury though-as he is just incessantly pushed down everyones throats.

2.63 ERA, 1.258 WHIP this year.

 

0.38 ERA, 0.750 WHIP in 24 IP as a reliever in 2007.

 

The kid is very good.

I am sick of hearing about Joba Chamberlain. Only player I have ever seen get a 3 minute long video package for his second MLB start, when his first start was not very good. He is one of the few players I wish failure on-not injury though-as he is just incessantly pushed down everyones throats.

 

 

Really? I wish he'd pitch for the Marlins, to be honest.

This really screws the Yankees. It's going to be extremely hard to keep pace with the Beams of Sunlight and the Red Sox without pretty much their best starter.