When he first reported to camp, Joba Chamberlain had Yankees officials worried that he'd spent the offseason gaining weight. He shook off those concerns to pitch pretty well, but then last Friday he developed pain in his core. He was called day-to-day with left side soreness, but an MRI revealed an oblique strain that is "a little worse" than the team thought, and Joba has, for the time being, been shut down, as there's no timetable for his next throwing session.
Joba Chamberlain Dealing With Oblique Injury, Out Of Action
For their part, the Yankees aren’t very concerned, and they’re treating this like it isn’t a very big deal. Odds are Chamberlain should be just fine to work out of the bullpen come Opening Day. The tricky thing is that oblique injuries are notoriously difficult for pitchers, and the slightest aggravation can push a guy out of action for weeks, if not months. The Yankees, and Chamberlain, need to be careful with their management here so that the righty is able to get healthy and stay healthy.
Chamberlain's expected to set up Rafael Soriano, who's expected to set up Mariano Rivera in what looks to be a very potent and effective Yankees bullpen. If Chamberlain ends up having to miss significant time, it wouldn't deal the team a devastating blow, but it would put more pressure on a shaky rotation.
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