If the Yankees get by Dallas Keuchel and the Astros in Tuesday's Wild Card Game, they will be without one of their key pitchers for the remainder of the playoffs.
CC Sabathia is checking himself into an alcohol rehabilitation center, according to a tweet by Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal. The southpaw also released a statement confirming that he is headed to rehab.
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If New York defeats Houston at Yankee Stadium Tuesday, it is set to play the Royals in the ALDS, meaning Sabathia won't be available to pitch during the series or in the ALCS and World Series if the Bronx Bombers get that far. The Yankees are sending Masahiro Tanaka to the mound in Tuesday's win-or-go home game at the Stadium, and if they advance, Sabathia was set to factor into the playoff rotation.
The 2009 World Series champion was likely set to join Tanaka, Michael Pineda and rookie Luis Severino in the Yankees' playoff rotation, but Ivan Nova appears to be the next-man up now that the veteran won't be available. With Nathan Eovaldi (elbow) sidelined, the Yankees don't boast a lot of depth on the bump.
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Adam Warren could also be added to the rotation, but he seems slated to pitch out of the bullpen in the playoffs.
Sabathia, 35, struggled for parts of this season, pitching to a 6-10 record with a 4.73 ERA, but he's been solid in the final few weeks of the campaign, boasting a 2-1 mark with a 2.17 ERA in the months of September and October. The pitcher's camp has released a statement on his impending rehab, which Fox Sports sent out in a tweet:
Sabathia was nearly involved in an alcohol-fueled brawl in Toronto in August, so perhaps it's good for him to get some help, even if it came at the worst possible time for the Yankees.
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