Abreu to miss 2-3 weeks of Spring Training with a strained right oblique muscle

Yankees outfielder Bobby Abreu could miss two to three weeks with a strained right oblique muscle, freeing Spring Training at-bats for Melky Cabrera, but not free agent Bernie Williams.
The 32-year-old Abreu suffered the injury while taking batting practice at Legends Field, manager Joe Torre said. Abreu felt a twinge after one swing and then continued to bat, which aggravated the injury.
"It's just one of those things," Torre said. "I guess the good news is that it's early and you can afford a couple of weeks right now." -- Yankees.com

The Good? Thank god it is only minor, and that the time missed will be in effect only during ST. The bright side of this is that youngsters such as Melky Cabrera will be getting more playing time and more time to develop than expected.

The Bad? Hopefully this will not lead to more injuries for the aging Abreu, who was a big part of the Yankees down the stretch last season. Without him, they may not have held onto the AL East.

The Big Picture!

This will not turn out to affect the Yankees at all down the stretch. Yankees manager Joe Torre has said that Bobby will be ready by opening day. This is also a blessing in disguise, with more time available for players that need it more than Bobby, who I doubt really needs much tuning up anyway. Not that I would wish hurt on anyone, but this turns out to a win-win for every party involved. The yankees coaching staff gets a more in-depth look at the youngsters, while Abreu will still be ready by the start of the regular season.

Yankees Backup Catcher Spot

Yankees catcher Jorge Posada is one of the top backstops in the league. But, like you and me, once in awhile he needs a day off. Who will his backup be in '07?

Long time Yankees skipper Joe Torre says that the race is down to veteran Todd Pratt and 29-year old Will Nieves. Nieves has been on the Yankees 40-man roster for two years, although he has not recorded a hit in 10 at-bats. Nieves has had nothing but good remarks from his minor league coaches, who say he has good work ethic. He also has had positive reviews from pitchers that have worked with him.

The other contendor in the race is 40-year old Todd Pratt. He is a veteran presence in any big league clubhouse, having played in 662 Major League games with the Phillies, Cubs, Mets and Braves since 1992. He also has the ability to hit an occasional home run.

Either will be a good backup for Jorge, best of luck to them.

Listen to Pavano's Latest Complaint!

"Feeling lighter: Carl Pavano threw his bullpen session Monday without incident, one day after experiencing a sensation of "heavy legs" caused by days of running on grass.
Pavano said he incorporated breaking balls into his repertoire for the first time this spring and that his legs felt better today. "---Yankees.com

Who suffers an injury from running on grass? Give me a break!

Glad to hear that he's atleast working, trying to get his breaking balls back after all of the injuries.

What Will Bernie Do?

Many children grow up dreaming to be a profesional baseball player when they get older. That dream has come true for Bernie Williams. But now, there is a question: 'How much longer will Bernie play?' Bernie still wants to play,and where he wants to play is clear. The only question is, do the Yankees want him back?

Yankees GM Brian Cashman has offered Williams a non-roster invite to spring training. Position players check-in day has come and gone, with no sign of Williams. Bernie wants and still belives he is worthy of a major league roster spot. "I think if they wanted to have me on the team, they would have signed me already," said Williams, 38. "Having the option to go to spring training to see what would happen is something that ... I don't think at this moment it's something I want to consider." -Bernie Williams to Newsday.

Yankees skipper Joe Torre is trying to reach out to Williams. Recently, he left some messages on Bernie's phone. He told Bernie,"If you want to continue to play, you can't do it if you stay up there. We have to see you."

Bernie has had a long 16-year career with the Yanks. If it ends here, Bernie should be happy. Williams has 287 career homeruns and 2,336 hits, 3 WS rings and a member of the latest Yankees dynasty. Is he a Hall of Famer? Probably not, but he will without a doubt,go down as one of the greatest players in Yankees history.

Philip Hughes:The Next Big Thing?

The Yankees have not won a World Championsip since the very beginning of the twenty-first century. Back then, the Yankees were built around good young talent, such as Derek Jeter, Bernie Williams, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera.

Recently, youngsters Chien-Ming Wang, Robinson Cano, and Melky Cabrera have been brought up to show what they can do in the Big Leagues, and all three have made an impact. But the Yankees still lack consistent starting pitching.Many think that their missing piece has arrived. His name?

Philip Hughes

Hughes attended Foothill High School in Santa Ana,California, where he was a first-team High School All-American. He also pitched a perfect game during high school. In his senior year, he was 9-1, with an 0.69 ERA.In 61 innings he gave up 40 hits and 3 walks.Not to mention the 83 batters he struck out.


The 20-year old Hughes has compiled a career era of 2.13 and 269 K's in 3 minor league seasons. The Yankees have been cautious with Hughes, hence his 5 inning limit last season with the Double-AA Trenton Thunder. Phil is expected to start the year with the Yankees AAA affiliate.

If any of the Yankees starting pitchers go down in '07, don't be surpsied if Mr. Hughes makes his debut in the bronx.

Hey everybody!

Just saying hello.

I'm Josh and I'm going to be blogging about the Yankees in the future.

Have fun reading my posts and make sure to comment!


-Josh