Yankees-Padres preview
SAN DIEGO -- With CC Sabathia being pushed back a day, the Yankees have recalled right-hander Chad Green from Triple-A Scranton-Wilkes-Barre of the International League to start Sunday's series finale against the Padres at Petco Park.
This will be the 25-year-old Green's third trip to the major league this season. The first visit didn't go so well.
And the pressure will be on. The Yankees need a win Sunday afternoon to avoid being swept by the Padres. But history is on the Yankees side.
The Padres are 6-20 in day games this season, including a 2-8 record in day games at Petco Park. They are also 3-23 in the last games of a series and 2-10 on Sundays.
As for Green, he made his major league debut on May 14 in a spot start at Arizona and allowed six runs (four earned) on eight hits in four innings. Two of the hits were homers.
"I think Green will be less nervous than in his last start," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said Saturday while discussing the matchup of Green (0-1, 7.20 earned run average) against Padres right-hander Andrew Cashner (3-5, 4.75 ERA), who is coming off the 15-day disabled list due to a neck strain.
"I hope so," Girardi continued in his discussion of Green. "I think that any time guys get called up at an early age, the first time they are nervous. The second time they are less nervous. That is just the way it goes."
Girardi said Green has pitched well at Triple-A. In fact, Green earlier this week was named to the International League team for the Triple-A All-Star Game. He is 6-6 in 14 starts for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre with a 1.54 ERA. He leads the IL in ERA.
Cashner, meanwhile, will be making his first appearance since June 10, when he left after facing one hitter at Coors Field in Denver. He went on the disabled list the following day for the second time this season. Cashner was also out from May 9 to May 24 with a left hamstring strain suffered when he unsuccessfully tried to score from first on a double.
"This has been a strange year," said Cashner, who has allowed one earned run over nine innings in two previous games (one start) against the Yankees.
Cashner missed 22 days with his neck strain. He has missed a total of six starts this season.
In four starts between his two trips to the disabled list -- each for issues unrelated to his right arm -- Casher was 1-2 with a 4.42 ERA. His ERA is currently as low as it has been since April 22.
"I thought Cash was throwing a lot better before his neck became an issue," Padres manager Andy Green said recently. "His stuff was sharper and his command was better. He looked sharp in his rehab start earlier this week (with Class A Lake Elsinore) so we're hopeful he's ready to move forward."
There are indications that Cashner's neck soreness could have been an issue weeks before the sprain forced him to the sideline.