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Yanks must wait before paths cross with Greene

Tigers pitcher dealt for Gregorius won't face Yankees this series; club not surprised by success

DETROIT -- When the Yankees sent Shane Greene to Detroit in December as part of a three-team deal that netted them shortstop Didi Gregorius, they knew they were parting ways with a talented young starting pitcher.

But it would have been impossible to predict Greene would get off to this kind of start for his new team.

The Yankees won't face Greene during their four-game series against the Tigers this week at Comerica Park, as Greene pitched Sunday. All Greene has done in his first three starts is go 3-0 while allowing one earned run in 23 innings.

"He's pitched very well. We saw him do that for us last year as well," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "It's a young man with a very good arm, with good movement on his fastball, good slider and a good changeup that I thought developed as the year went on. I'm not really surprised.

"Any time you let a young starting pitcher go, I think it's difficult. But to get an everyday shortstop, those just don't fall out of trees. To get something, you have to give up something."

Video: CWS@DET: Greene pitches seven innings, allows one run

Greene said he was "a little bit" surprised to hear he'd been traded, but he also knew his trade value was high after going 5-4 with a 3.78 ERA in 15 appearances for the Yankees last season.

"I know it's a business. I'm not a complete idiot, so I knew if something was going to happen, my name would be at least talked about with the situation over there," Greene said. "I'm excited to be here, and that's all that really matters."

Not that the news was necessarily easy to accept at the time.

"I felt like I got dumped," Greene said. "I looked at myself in the mirror, put a chip on my shoulder and went from there."

That chip has helped Greene jump out to such a strong start for a Tigers team that entered Monday's series opener with a 10-2 record.

Greene knew he could have faced his former team at some point this week, if the schedule and rotation had lined up just right, but said he wasn't upset about the way things worked out.

"I'll get that chance," he said. "That time will come."

Adam Berry is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter at @adamdberry.
Read More: New York Yankees, Didi Gregorius, Shane Greene