Sunday’s rainout not only allowed the Yankees to avoid Jacob deGrom, it also gave them a chance to push CC Sabathia three extra days after the left-hander received an injection on his surgically repaired right knee before the All-Star break.
“Any time we get a chance to get some rest, I think it’s key, especially for me at this point in the season,” Sabathia said. “I’m welcoming it.”
Masahiro Tanaka was supposed to go up against deGrom in the Subway Series finale in The Bronx, but the game was postponed by rain and will be made up Aug. 13 at 7:10 p.m.
Since Luis Severino already was scheduled to pitch Monday in Tampa Bay, the Yankees opted to keep Severino in his spot and bump Tanaka to Tuesday.
“He’d already flown out,” Aaron Boone said of Severino. “We built in the week around him going [Monday].”
Luis Cessa will still pitch Wednesday, with Sonny Gray to follow Thursday at home against the Royals. Sabathia, originally slated to start Tuesday, will now pitch Friday.
“When we can give him extra days, we think he really benefits from it,” Boone said. “Pushing him back a few more days benefits him and us in a long season.”
Sabathia said it was the third time he’d gotten the lubricant injection this season and he still intends to pitch next year. It’s clear he wants to stay with the Yankees because one of his reasons for sticking around is to pitch in London, where the Yankees will face the Red Sox for a series.
In the meantime, the Yankees will go to Tampa Bay trailing the Red Sox by five games in the AL East after Boston beat Detroit on Sunday.
And if there was one night it might have been advantageous not to face the Mets, it was Sunday against deGrom.
“He’s a tough customer, obviously, a great pitcher,” Boone said. “Anytime we take the field, we feel we have a really good chance, no matter who’s out there — especially at home.”
They also have to make up a game in Baltimore later in August.
“You don’t like stacking up these doubleheaders and now a makeup game,” Boone said. “But obviously, tonight was a tough matchup, sure.”