News about an ailing Yankee reliever:
Reliever David Robertson was shut down because of stiffness in his right elbow, and will not pitch again until he’s examined by noted orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews.Robertson has been a key member of the bullpen, going 2-1 with one save and a 3.29 ERA in 42 games. He said he’s felt the problem for two weeks, and had an MRI exam Monday.
“I don’t feel like there’s anything seriously wrong,” he said after coming off the field before the game against Tampa Bay. “I feel confident it’s not going to be anything.”
Robertson is throwing pain-free and there hadn’t been a drop in his velocity. He said his elbow tended to stiffen up the day after he pitched, and the Yankees haven’t been using him on consecutive days.
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“We’re not sure we’re losing David,” manager Joe Girardi said. “The unusual thing is how well he’s pitched” despite the trouble, he said.
“We’ve all seen how he’s pitched. He’s been unbelievable. He’s been lights out.”
Some of you might be asking, “who the heck is David Robertson?”
Robertson was drafted by the Yankees in the 17th round of the 2006 amateur draft. He’s only 24 years old and has posted sterling strikeout numbers at every level he’s pitched.
This season with the Yankees has been no different. In 41 innings, Robertson has struck out a lofty 61 batters, for a strike out per nine innings ratio (or SO/9) of 13.4. For comparison, Mariano Rivera has a SO/9 of 10 this season with a career average of 8.3.
I’m not anointing Robertson the next Rivera. Rivera has only walked 2.1 batters per nine innings (BB/9) over his career while Robertson has averaged 4.7 during his brief time in the majors. Robertson does have some control issues, but he has a live fastball and would be a great option for the Yankees come playoff time.
The word has been that Robertson is not feeling any pain, which hopefully is a good sign. Anytime a pitcher needs to see Dr. James Andrews, however, antennae go up and people get worried. Let’s hope Robertson just has a little stiffness and can carry his fastball into the postseason.
Scott Ham blogs about the Yankees here and at TheBronxView.com. He also hosts The Bronx View Yankee Podcast. He can be reached at feedback@thebronxview.com.
