Yanks push back CC, tab Mitchell vs. Twins

NEW YORK -- The Yankees altered their pitching rotation for this week's series against the Twins, sending right-hander Bryan Mitchell to the mound on Monday instead of left-hander CC Sabathia.

Sabathia is healthy, and the decision was made to provide extra rest to the rotation, according to general manager Brian Cashman. Sabathia is now scheduled to pitch on Tuesday, with right-hander Nathan Eovaldi starting on Wednesday against Minnesota. Ivan Nova is scheduled to go Thursday against the Indians.

"Our thought process was, we didn't use anyone Saturday out of the bullpen, we didn't use a whole lot on Sunday," manager Joe Girardi said, "so this might be as fresh as our bullpen is going to be in the next couple of days."

Sabathia said that Girardi asked him two days ago if he would mind pushing back his start to Tuesday, and he said that it had nothing to do with Sabathia's involvement in a brief altercation outside a Toronto nightclub early on Saturday morning.

Video: NYY@CLE: Sabathia induces double play to escape jam

"Joe just wanted to give guys an extra day," Sabathia said. "We had a bunch of days in a row. He asked me, 'Would I mind?' I never do. So no problem."

Mitchell, 24, is 0-1 with a 3.72 ERA in nine games this season. He made his lone start of the year on Aug. 1 against the White Sox in Chicago, allowing four runs and seven hits in four innings of an 8-2 loss.

The Yankees have discussed inserting a sixth starter to help as they play a stretch of 16 straight games; Mitchell will get that nod. Girardi said that he expects to get about 85 pitches from Mitchell.

Worth noting
Michael Pineda, who threw 42 pitches in a Minor League rehab start on Sunday for Double-A Trenton, said that he felt good and expected to throw 60 to 65 pitches in his next outing. Girardi said that it had not been discussed if Pineda's next start could be at the big league level.

"We haven't really had a chance to sit down and talk to him," Girardi said. "And as I've said all along, I don't make too much of Minor League starts for Major League players. My biggest concern is that they come out healthy."