NEW YORK -- Right-hander Luis Cessa left the Yankees' 4-2 win on Monday night vs. the Mets in the fifth inning with what the Yankees think is a right rhomboideus injury.
The rhomboideus is a muscle in the back near the neck area that connects the shoulder blade to the vertebrae. Cessa is scheduled to get an MRI on Tuesday morning, said manager Joe Girardi, who added that he doesn't think the injury is "too serious."
"It's not my shoulder, it's not my elbow. Thank God," Cessa said through an interpreter. "I don't think it's something big. I think it's something minor."
Cessa was making a spot start for Masahiro Tanaka, who was placed on the 10-day disabled list on Saturday.
With Juan Lagares batting, Girardi and assistant athletic trainer Tim Lentych went out to the mound to check on Cessa, but they returned to the dugout with Cessa remaining in the game.
Lagares singled, Girardi and Lentych visited the mound again, and after a brief discussion, Cessa exited the game. The Yankees were trailing, 2-1, at the time Cessa exited. He had allowed home runs to Curtis Granderson and Yoenis Cespedes, but Cessa had also struck out five batters in 4 1/3 innings.
"I thought I could keep pitching," Cessa said. "But Girardi came out and told me, 'We're going to take you out. I don't want you to do something wrong mechanically and hurt it more.'"
The injury comes at a time when the Yankees have two starting pitchers already on the disabled list, Tanaka and left-hander Carsten Sabathia, who was placed on the 10-day DL on Friday with right knee inflammation.
However, the Yankees may be able to afford being cautious with Cessa. Sabathia, who threw a bullpen session on Monday, said he is aiming to come off the DL as soon as he's eligible on Saturday, in time to pitch against the Red Sox.
Jordan Montgomery, who had an injury scare of his own last Saturday when he was hit on the head with a line drive in batting practice, would have been the likely candidate to remain in the rotation until Tanaka returns, regardless of Cessa's status.