CC Sabathia missed the majority of last season due to a knee injury. In the upcoming season, the veteran pitcher wants to make an impact for the New York Yankees and he declared that he is ready for Spring Training.
Sabathia, who only started in eight games for the Yankees last season where he went 3-4 with a 5.28 ERA, has been working out regularly after recovering from a season-ending surgery last year as he is determined to stay healthy in the 2015 MLB season.
"That was the shortest year, having my year cut short by injury last year," Sabathia said via MLB.com. "Hopefully this year I can go out and try to make 30 starts and just be healthy and try to help the team win."
Sabathia, who will turn 34 in July, is projected to make the Yankees' starting rotation that also include Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka, Michael Pineda, Nathan Eovaldi and Chris Capuano.
Like Sabathia, Tanaka was also limited to 20 starts last season after the 26-year-old pitcher sustained a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. He was supposed to undergo Tommy John surgery, but the team and the pitcher decided to delay the operation and try alternative treatments.
Tanaka, who inked a lucrative seven-year deal worth $155 million last year, has been working out as part of his preparation for Spring Training. According to Yankees pitching coach Larry Rothschild, Tanaka is not feeling any pain or experiencing setback over the past several weeks.
"Until we know different, he's healthy," Rothschild said of Tanaka via NY Post. "I've communicated with him. He's followed what we set up. So far, he's felt good."
Tanaka went 13-5 with a 2.77 ERA and 141 strikeouts last season, and was a strong contender for the American League Rookie of the Year award before hurting his right elbow.
Meanwhile, veteran third baseman Alex Rodriguez sat down with Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner and top executives to apologize for his involvement in the Biogenesis scandal and for the trouble he created with the organization, the club confirmed in a statement.
"We held a meeting at Yankee Stadium between Hal Steinbrenner, Randy Levine, Brian Cashman, Jean Afterman, Alex Rodriguez and Jim Sharp. Alex initiated the meeting and apologized to the organization for his actions over the past several years," the Yankees said in a statement on Tuesday.
According to ESPN New York, the Yankees aired their frustration over Rodriguez's behavior and the way he questioned the club's integrity during the investigation on the Biogenesis scandal.
The Yankees also reportedly confirmed to Rodriguez that they are planning to dispute his $30 million milestone bonus because of the PED scandal.
