CC Sabathia Expects to Start Friday

Biceps tightness forced him out of last start

By PAT LACKEY and FANHOUSE.COM

Updated 2:45 PM EST, Tue, Jun 23, 2009

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After scaring the bejeebers out of the Yankees and all of their fans by leaving his start Sunday in the second inning with left-biceps tightness, CC Sabathia seems to be suffering from no ill effects Monday, telling the New York Daily News that his arm "feels good" and that he expects to make his next start on Friday.

In fact, the Yankees aren't even sending him out for an MRI and if all goes well during a bullpen session later this week, their front office seem to think that his prediction of a Friday start isn't out of the question. As it stands now, he's being treated at the park, but that's just about the only thing they're doing differently.

Obviously the Yankees and their doctors know best here, but it seems crazy that they're not going to do an MRI or anything on the arm of a guy that's admitting that his arm hurts between starts, and had to leave a start due to arm stiffness. Given Sabathia's workload over the past two years (he's thrown more than 500 innings after the playoffs are considered) and the amount of money the Yankees have riding on that arm, it seems particularly crazy.

I'll say again that if the big man himself and the Yankees doctors think his arm is fine, it probably is and the Yankees and their fans have little to worry about, but taking an MRI just to be sure wouldn't take much time and it wouldn't be difficult to do, especially given what's at stake here.