This time around, it's Phil Hughes facing the brunt of the hysteria. Here's Ken Davidoff, after Hughes' second start:

When the ultra-careful Joe Girardi says, “We’re going to have to make an evaluation” of his starting rotation, as the manager did yesterday morning, then you know job security isn’t at a premium here...

...Something’s got to give. And Hughes, two starts into what was supposed to be his rebound season, is giving up way too much to the opposition. After getting hammered by the Angels for six runs, eight hits and two walks in 3 1/3 innings, the 25-year-old owns a 9.00 ERA in eight innings over two starts.

And the NY Times after his fifth start:

Hughes still was not good enough to win... [He] allowed four runs and four hits, including two home runs, in five and two-thirds innings.

And now ESPN tells us Hughes shouldn't count on being in the rotation much longer:

With Andy Pettitte probably a little more than a week away and rookie David Phelps making his starting debut on Thursday in Kansas City, Hughes did not do much to firm up his grip on the No. 5 spot.

If Phelps is lights-out against the Royals, the rookie is not going earn another start? If Phelps pitches well, then Hughes might be taking his reborn "reliever mentality" to the bullpen or perhaps -- but probably not -- as far as Triple-A.

High ERA! Only One Wins!! Triple A!!!

Okay, let's just take a deep breath. Yes, Hughes is 1-4 with a U-G-L-Y 7.48 ERA. But he's got a solid alibi: a trifecta of bad luck with a .328 BABIP, 56.7% strand rate, and a 19.4% HR/FB rate.

Fact is, Phil Hughes is striking out 9.55 batters per nine, good for 13th-best among all MLB starters (min. 20 IP). His walk rate is a respectable 2.91 per 9, and his line drive rate represents one of the lowest of his career at 17.1%. Furthermore, he's done all of this against above-average competition including the Rangers, Rays, and Orioles (2nd, 6th, and 8th in team wOBA).

There is one caveat with Hughes: his perennially high flyball rate combined with Yankee Stadium means he will give up his fair share of home runs. At this point, it appears that this who he is, and he will not be the ace the Yankees thought they had.

At minimum though, his peripherals show he can be a very effective back-end starter, and they also provide some hope that he can be a #3 guy. Again, the strikeouts are there and the crazy-low stand rate (9th-lowest in MLB) is really juicing his ERA.

With Pineda going down, the Yankees need to maximize Hughes' upside by giving him every chance to fulfill his potential as a starter. That potential means he should remain ahead of Phelps in the rotation pecking order. And there's simply no way he should be wasted in Triple-A.

It's a pointless debate at this juncture. The Yankees are a lock for the playoffs. There's only 20 games left. And neither Hughes or Burnett deserves to start a playoff game this year. So seriously, what is the point of picking a 5th starter? Who cares? The regular season is basically over.


No playoff rotation for you!

The Yankees expect to have a decision by the end of the weekend on their starting rotation, with A.J. Burnett and Phil Hughes on the bubble to be nixed from what is currently a six-man staff.

"We've talked about it," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said on Thursday. "We feel we need to get it down to a five-man rotation and go with it."

Girardi said that the Yankees are going to make their final call before they head to Kansas City for a three-game series that opens on Monday.

Will the contract dictate the decision?

Lots of talk heading into the game about Phil Hughes' revamping his curveball to make it less loopy and add some velocity.

According to PitchFX, Phil's curveball on Sunday averaged 75 mph with a max speed of 78. That's certainly harder than the 73.7 mph he averaged in his four previous appearances this season. It is right in line with his curveball velocity of 2010 (75.8 mph), however.

And for those wondering about the fastball, it averaged 91.25 mph on the day, topping out at 92.8. In his four previous appearances this year, it averaged 89.9.

Phil threw his virgin curveball for the very first time.

NY Times:

All of Hughes’s tests Monday came back negative for circulatory and vascular issues, the Yankees said, a development that deepens the mystery regarding Hughes’s baffling lack of arm strength but spreads a feeling of relief that thoracic outlet syndrome is not the cause. Hughes was sent to St. Louis to meet with Dr. Robert William Thompson, a renowned vascular surgeon, to confirm or to rule out that he had thoracic outlet syndrome.

What a mess this rotation is. Hope the Yankees' bats are ready to carry the playoff load.

Yanks fall to 5-7 versus Canadian competition.

Our neighbors to the North grant us no separation from the Rays.