ANAHEIM, Calif. — Nathan Eovaldi’s season came to an end when it was discovered he had not only a slight tear to his UCL that required Tommy John surgery, but also a torn flexor tendon.
He underwent surgery for both Friday and the procedures went “as expected,” according to the Yankees.
Since the rehab time is 14-18 months for a second Tommy John surgery — as is the case for Eovaldi — the right-hander is all but certain to miss the entire 2017 season, leaving the Yankees with less starting pitching heading into next season than they had hoped.
And it’s already having an impact now, as the team clings to slim playoff hopes and will turn to Luis Cessa on Saturday in his first major league start.
On Sunday, Chad Green returns to the mound for the first time since he shut down the Blue Jays in six shutout innings in his last outing.
Still, it’s not exactly what the Yankees had in mind when they acquired both right-handers from Detroit for lefty Justin Wilson during the offseason.
The plan had been to turn to them in case they needed some depth in the rotation — not to replace an injured Eovaldi (who may have thrown his last pitch for the Yankees, since he is set to become a free agent after next season) and a demoted Luis Severino.
Instead of Severino building on the promise he showed during the last two months of 2015, he regressed considerably and has been sent back to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre twice in recent weeks.
Cessa last pitched three innings in relief of Severino against the Rays on Sunday and gave up five runs.
“I’m excited,” Cessa said before the Yankees’ 7-0 win over the Angels on Friday night. “All of my career [in the minors], I’ve been a starter. … Maybe if I pitch well, I can pitch the rest of the season and next year, too. I’m just fighting for a spot in the rotation.”
The 24-year-old has made eight appearances this year for the Yankees — all out of the bullpen.
He went 6-3 with a 3.03 ERA in 15 games — 14 starts — for SWB this year.
Manager Joe Girardi said he has been impressed by Cessa’s fastball location and his ability to get his breaking ball over, but he pointed out: “When you get to this level, you’ve got to put all those things together.”
Girardi said he wasn’t thrilled with the way Brett Gardner was moving around Wednesday against the Blue Jays, so he gave him another night out of the starting lineup Friday.
He had missed four straight games with a bruised right ankle suffered last Friday when he was hit by a pitch by Tampa Bay’s Chris Archer. Gardner said he likely will have to deal with the injury the rest of the season.
Chase Headley was added to the list of injuries with an Achilles issue that he said had been bothering him for about a week, so he was scratched, as well. Both hope to be in the lineup Saturday.
Dellin Betances joined CC Sabathia, Girardi and bullpen coach Mike Harkey at a Rams practice at UC-Irvine on Thursday’s off day.
“Those guys are huge,” the 6-foot-8 Betances said.
Harkey’s son, Cory Harkey, is a tight end for the Rams.