State of the Yankees: Midseason Review

The Yankees just finished off a sweep of the Reds to start the second half and sit three games out of first with a 50-47 record. Despite how poorly they've played, the AL East is still, somehow, wide open for the taking.

Last time I checked in, Yangervis Solarte was leading the team in just about all offensive categories and CC Sabathia had just hit the DL for his knee, which, at the time, I thought was a cover for his poor performance. Today, Solarte is back on the active roster after a massive cold streak sent him down to the minors, and we just found out CC is getting season-ending knee surgery.

Injury Bug

While CC's injury is certainly a concern for his career, it doesn't compare to the impact Masahiro Tanaka's elbow surgery will have on the Yankees season outlook. Tanaka was an AL Cy Young candidate, and now he's likely out for the year. Now, the only member of the Opening Day rotation who hasn't spent time on the DL this season is Hiroki Kuroda.

Feels good to post the 1st Yankees lineup of 2011, even if it’s just spring training

Bartolo Colon will throw out the Yankees first pitch of 2011 at 1:05 p.m. today. Cole Hamels will start for the bad guys in this 2009 World Series rematch. The game is at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

Phillies	Yankees
Jimmy Rollins SS	Derek Jeter SS
Ross Gload DH	Nick Swisher RF
Raul Ibanez LF	Mark Teixeira 1B
Ryan Howard 1B	Alex Rodriguez 3B
Ben Francisco CF	Robinson Cano 2B
Dominic Brown RF	Jorge Posada DH
Jeff Larish 3B	Curtis Granderson CF
Brian Schneider C	Francisco Cervelli C
Wilson Valdez SS	Brett Gardner LF