Veteran lefty CC Sabathia gave Yankees fans some cause for concern when he underwent an angioplasty last month, but the team announced today that followup exams of Sabathia went well. Per the Yankees’ release, Sabathia “has now been cleared to begin working out, which will include baseball activities.”
Sabathia, 38, re-signed with the Yankees on a one-year, $8MM contract early in the offseason, agreeing to return to the Bronx for what will be the final season of his illustrious career. The prognosis at the time of his procedure was reportedly “excellent,” and the quick clearance for Sabathia to resume working out and performing baseball activities speaks to that. In all likelihood, then, the left-hander should be up to speed for Spring Training and on schedule for the Opening Day roster.
Recently, the bit of uncertainty surrounding Sabathia was cited by Yankees general manager Brian Cashman as a consideration as he mulls trade offers for right-hander Sonny Gray. Cashman told reporters over the weekend that Sabathia’s situation “has given us pause,” suggesting that he’s at least considered holding Gray into the season. Of course, the Yankees have plenty of other depth options behind Luis Severino, James Paxton, Masahiro Tanaka and J.A. Happ even if Gray is traded. Domingo German, Jonathan Loaisiga, Chance Adams and Luis Cessa all started games for the Yankees last season, and lefty Jordan Montgomery could return from Tommy John surgery at some point late in the summer.
Regardless of its impact on any future Yankees maneuverings, the Sabathia update is a welcome one for the Yankees. While the former AL Cy Young winner clearly isn’t the ace he was at his peak, Sabathia has nonetheless recorded three straight seasons of sub-4.00 ERA ball with the Yankees. From 2016-18, he pitched to a 3.76 ERA with 7.7 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 481 1/3 innings — with last year’s 3.65 ERA, 4.16 FIP, 8.2 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 all being his best marks in that three-year stretch.
thegreatcerealfamine
Comforting news for his family and friends above all else.
dimitrios in la
A great Yankee.
Polish Hammer
A pretty good Indian, gave Milwaukee everything he had, a decent Yankee…
jonscriff
Won the yankees a world series…
itsmeheyhi
eat a dong
YourDaddy
Teams win games. Players contribute to wins. No one player wins a series on his own.
xXabial
who is David Ortiz? nathe Evoldi or Scott brocias to name a few???
Polish Hammer
Won it all by himself too…
HalosHeavenJJ
Good. CC is a father and does a ton of community service. His life has a ton of meaning beyond baseball.
teddyj
“ton” LMAO …I see what you did there.
HalosHeavenJJ
Completely unintentional. I have total respect for CC.
pasha2k
I wish CC the best(coming from a RedsoxFan), but it is scary that a 38 yr old has already had an angioplasty, ?? Stent? That is not good for prognosis for him. If Cashman has any sense he shouldn’t pitch him. A 38 yr old is so young to start having heart disease.
allweatherfan
And put him on a healthier diet.
vmmercan 2
Except medical professionals cleared him for MLB baseball activities so how does this fall on Cashman?
batty
I get what you are saying. Health before all, but doctors have cleared him and Cashman can’t, and shouldn’t, be held to such things.
mikeyank55
Hey batty-dont you think that 2K k owe more than the doctors that cleared him?
He knows that under 40 year olds thAt have the procedure are better off than a 50 year old as they usually have a heart attack and don’t survive.
allthesingledigitsgone
He has coronary artery disease cause he is fat plain and simple. I know he’s tall be he he is also fat. This did not have to happen.
thegreatcerealfamine
Where did you attend medical school? You and bob show ZERO class!!
Col. Taylor
Heredity can play a large roll in CAD as can lifestyle… Get some class AND some knowledge.
Polish Hammer
“Large roll”? Really? Were you intentionally making comments about his rolls?
mikeyank55
Hey Col-these commenters also launched attacks on CC earlier and called him classless for walking away from the team at the time that he confronted his deamons.
CC is an amazing teammate, a solid contributor and over the past ten years become a true Yankee.
He deserves everything he has accomplished and I for one am rooting for him to continue the train ride to Cooperstown with a few more seasons racking up victories to seal the deal.
Anyone that attacks him is classless and just plain dumb!
petrie000
Cashman is his gm, not his nanny.
If the doctors say he can pitch, it’s up to CC.
yanks02026
Glad CC is good to go and hopefully he recovers 100%
Now back to trading Sonny Gray away.
bobtillman
Good news for CC….but the real question is: Is he cleared to for more trips through the Fabulous Fannie’s Fabulous Food Fest?…….
trendysayings
People don’t give CC the credit he deserves for pitching well year in and year out at a hitter’s ballpark at such an advanced age. The Yankees are lucky to have him at the back end of their rotation.
xabial
Cleared To resume baseball activities
Ready to add to his HOF résumé.
Love CC. I will appreciate watching his final MLB season
Willy Mays
370 era 1.254 whip don’t exactly scream Hall of Fame
oldmanmiller
First ballot probably not but hall of famer none the less
Polish Hammer
Hall of Good…
Cole Shepherd
No. HOF
Polish Hammer
Not the Baseball Hall of Fame but the Vallejo High School Hall of Fame…so yeah technically he is a first ballot HOFer…
mikeyank55
Time to screw in a light bulb polish. Your anti CC rants are as old as you are.
Polish Hammer
Anti CC rants? I think he was a good pitcher. Poor excuse physically for a “professional athlete”. Quit yanking your Mikey 55…
Cole Shepherd
246 wins, in a period like Grove, Roberts, and Morris eras where there aren’t too many of those. HOF.
Willy Mays
Andy Petite had 256 wins not getting in Mike Mussina 270 wins not in yet Bartolo Colon 247 not getting in Jaimie Moyer 269 not getting in Jim Kaat 283 not in,Exactly why do those wins get CC in?Especially now when wins are considered a meaningless stat. A lifetime 1.25 whip does not belong in the hof.I.’m a Yankee fan but I.d put Petite in before CC because he pitched a lot of big playoff games and he’s not getting in. So no to CC.He was a real good pitcher just not a hof pitcher.Btw what period was Grove Roberts and Morris.Those are 3 different periods
YourDaddy
246 wins would be good enough if he had a decent ERA. It also doesn’t help that along with his 3.70 career ERA, his run support would be the highest of any pitcher in the HOF. JAWS has him missing the HOF.
JAWS
Starting Pitcher (71st):
62.7 career WAR / 39.4 7yr-peak WAR / 51.0 JAWS
Average HOF P (out of 63):
73.4 career WAR / 50.1 7yr-peak WAR / 61.8 JAWS
Polish Hammer
Petite and Colon cheated the game, if they willingly let known cheaters in they were far behind Clemens. Messina did it the right way and walked away on his own terms. Finally won 20 games and walked away from millions to be a family man when he could’ve hung on forever like Colon and Moyer to accumulate stats and tarnish a great career.
mikeyank55
CC is not finished. Another 15 win season will inspire him to sign on again.
rjsuitor
Pettitte was not a lifetime cheater. He did admit to violate the rules while he was injured to repair his body. Also don’t sit there and tell me everyone who made it in the HOF didn’t violate the rules on substances. They merely didn’t get caught.
Polish Hammer
He admitted to using just that one time to rehab that one injury and right back….BS! He cheated and everything gets tainted because of it.
Cole Shepherd
“Those are 3 different periods”
that’s why I used the plural “eraS”
“Andy Petite had 256 wins not getting in Mike Mussina 270 wins not in yet Bartolo Colon 247 not getting in Jaimie Moyer 269 not getting in Jim Kaat 283”
Every one of those guys except Colon are from two eras when LOTS of pitchers won LOTS of games, and every one of them except maybe Moyer will wind up in the HOF eventually.
“Especially now when wins are considered a meaningless stat. ”
Wins are not a meaningless stat, regardless of the current ridiculous thought fad that says they are. The BEST pitchers always have won, and always will win, LOTS of games. Since “the game changed because of relief pitchers (or the DH, or steroided offense)” we’ve had 10 of the total 24 300-game winners. Some eras have a lot of great pitchers, some eras have very few. Right now there are very few. The 90s had very many. The 70s had very many. The deadball era had very many.
Willy Mays
I guess Nolan Ryan wasn’t good.Boy DeGrom sucked last year,.Matt Cain had a 3.68 era for his career and a losing record. But your’re right good pitchers always win. Also the idea that some eras had more great pitchers is garbage.Great pitchers are defined in comparison to other pitchers of there time period. Walter Johnson might’ve stunk now. Was still great in his time.Pitchers with a lot of strike outs a low era and a low whip in comparison to other pitchers of that period are considered great. Every era had pitchers considered great.FinallyI I mentioned Petite Colon Moyer Kaat and Mussina and you said they all with the exception of maybe Moyer will get in the HOF .Mussina is the only one with a shot of getting in. You can add Tommy John 288 wins also not getting in
Cole Shepherd
No, Nolan Ryan was great. Don’t know where you got that, from what I wrote.
No, some eras have few GREAT pitchers, others have MANY, and that is factoring in conditions, etc. Mike Scott was great for a bit Hershiser was great for a bit, Gooden was great for a bit, but none were great for the long haul, and that’s what makes GREAT.
Carlton was GREAT. Kershaw is almost there. Tommy John & Kaat will get to the HOF eventually.
I could name you twelve pitchers off the top of my head the majority of whose IP came in the 70s, who were GREAT. In the now? Not many, though we’ll need to wait and see if the few can hold up for another 5-10 years as reliable, winning, number 1 or number 2 starters.
Frisco500
Vallejo stand up. 415 to 707. Crestside. Handle up CC. We’re proud of you.
PinstripedPride
For all his shortcomings and question marks, the guy had: a 3.65 ERA, a 4.16 FIP, threw 153 innings, 8.2 K/9 IP, and 1.1 HR/9 IP. I will definitely take that from a number 5 starter. Plus he has the intangibles of clubhouse leadership and a wonderful personality. This is going to be his final year– I want it to be a good one for him
luclusciano
Exactly. All this talk of how bad he is – if anything he has been super consistent over the past 3-4 years, which is indeed what you want from a 5th starter
Yankeepatriot
People who don’t watch him every fifth day just don’t understand my friend
Polish Hammer
Or every SIXTH night for those teams now utilizing a 5-man rotation…
Ejemp2006
Saw him at Rays game. Warmup time. He mentored guys the whole time. Keep things light while giving sage advice. Didn’t like too much before this sights but then became really like. CC learned to pitch. Stopped just throwing it past guys. Now he teaches it.
YourDaddy
Next thing we will read is that Gray has been traded.
luclusciano
Nope. The Reds have agreed to a minor league contract with right-hander Odrisamer Despaigne
Just kidding, yeah, I expect to hear that coming from the Yankee camp to.
Yankeepatriot
Make all the fat jokes you haters I don’t care. CC has been nothing but clutch, a warrior, a leader, great teammate and a great pitcher for the Yankees and throughout his whole career and this future hall of famer deserves nothing but respect. The guy spat at a bonus which he was about to obtain to protect his teammate, nuff said
He’s been one of the best pitchers in mlb since he debuted in 2001 and I hope he retires with a World Series ring this season, he deserves it !
YourDaddy
He has been a warrior. He has also not done enough to merit inclusion in the Hall of Fame. The Hall of Very Good, yes. The Hall of Fame? Not quite enough.
Yankeepatriot
Dude jack Morris got in, nuff said. Also CC will be only the third lefty ever to get 3000 K’s among things he has done
ShieldF123
As a lifelong Yankee fan I hate to say it, but CC is not a HOF caliber pitcher. To be honest, neither is Andy Pettite. They are both great Yankees and should be revered as such, but not HOF worthy.
Have to add that Jack Morris shouldn’t be in either, but adding more guys who don’t meet the bar isn’t the answer.
Melchez
Quite a few Hall of Fame members don’t belong.
todd76
Yankees will not win the World Series this year.
costergaard2
Steve, as a Yankees fan, CC gave me concern only for his health and well being, but not for baseball. Insurance would have recouped the money and the Yankees would have figured it out.
CC is a lion with the heart of the lion. I am just happy that he is ok…
jasoneye
I thought CC had slipped, and started his snow-plowing business back up. And by that, I mean snorting lines to Gang Green’s “Sold Out” 7″.
Polish Hammer
Wasn’t his problem supposedly with alcohol and not powder?
VABlitz
Alcohol and Captain Crunch cereal were his drugs of choice. I think he’s put both behind him. .
Polish Hammer
Not Captain Crunch, I thought it was Cup Cakes or Cream Cheese…
dust44
Love CC. Just need the big fella to give innings and keep the ball on the ground until Monty is ready to pitch.
melkor77
Everybody – please eat the recommended amount of dietary fibre daily… good for your heart and colon and helps maintain a healthy weight. Or don’t I’m not the boss of any of you.
IronBallsMcGinty
My comment defending CC gets deleted even though I censored myself but all the ones with fat jokes still stand. Nice job, guys. Gonna go take that survey again.
HarveyD82
If wins dont mean sh*t anymore, I guess Anthony Young was a great pitcher…
GarryHarris
The Yankees announced that Sonny Gray was on the market for trade before they resigned C.C. Sabathia. Therefore, C.C’s health is irrelevant.
seth3120
Sabathia earned my respect by drilling a guy an inning before a half a million dollar incentive would’ve vested. Always been a gamer