Sabathia Shut Down With Grade 2 Hamstring Strain

With just six games left this season, the Yankees will have to play on without their highest paid pitcher in CC Sabathia, who was shut down by the Yankees on Monday after it was announced he had suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain.

"We have hopes and beliefs that next year will be a better year for him and for us,'' Cashman said. "There's no point in having him make his last start with an injury.''

Yankees GM Brian Cashman said that Sabathia strained his left hamstring in the second inning of his last start for the Yanks on Friday against the San Francisco Giants. The injury will take about 8 weeks to heal, according to the team.

Sabathia, 33, had been going through a very rough 2013 season, finishing with a 14-13 record with an un-CC like 4.78 ERA, the highest of his 13-year career. He also allowed a career-high 26 homeruns this season, six more than his previous career-high.

"He's had an interesting year, to say the least,'' Cashman said. "The home runs really killed him. But we think he's retained a number of abilities that should allow him to pitch at or near the top of our rotation next year. ''

Losing CC may sound like a back-breaker for the Bombers, but in reality, it's not that bad. The Yankees only have six games remaining, and Sabathia was only going to take the mound one more time -- Thursday against the Tampa Bay Rays, who CC is 1-4 with an abysmal 7.52 ERA against this season.

With CC no longer starting against Tampa this week, it's like that Phil Hughes will start for the Yankees in one of the three critical games in the Bronx against the Wild Card leading Rays.

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