Assessing The Yankees - Week 12

With the completion of a so-so week the Yankees find themselves in the midst of what is sure to be a trialing stretch leading to the All Star break. Things are still as tight as ever in the division and with an important two weeks on the horizon, the team will needs to but it's best foot forward.

The Good - Ivan Nova's return to the Yankees was a successful as he pitched 6 2/3 shutout inning in his first start in since Tommy John surgery 14 months ago. He should provide great protection for the middle of the rotation, especially with Sabathia struggling to find any kind of groove thus far.

- Chris Young had a fantastic showing at the dish this week going 11 for 28 (.393) and getting timely hits when the team needed. This is a far cry from the tumultuous month he put together from May into early june, so this recent tear has to be a pleasant surprise for the fans and especially Joe Girardi. It also helped that he was back in his hometown of Houston with his family and friends rooting him on.

- For as good ans Young was this week, Brett Gardner was that much better going 13 for 26 (.500) and collecting a hit in every game. This hot streak is not only pacing the offense tremendously, it should garner him enough attention to warrant an All Star appearance. Jacoby Ellsbury will soon be on his way back and with Gardner hitting the way he is now, the dynamic duo could give the offense a huge boost.

- Chasen Shreve was extremely effective in his four appearances as he did not allow a single run. In fact the lefty has bot allowed a single run since May 22 collecting 16 strikeouts over that span. No one though much of him when he was acquired from the Atlanta Braves in January, but he has been a more than valuable asset to the Yankee bullpen.

The Bad - Tanaka followed up one of the worst starts of his early career with another poor outing in Houston. He once again surrendered three homers and could not keep the opposing bats at bay with any consistency. It does not appear that anything is structurally wrong with his elbow, so this could could definitely be mental, but nevertheless it does not male his recent poor performances any less concerning.

-  Joe Girardi made the decision to go with a 6-man rotation rather than demote a pitcher to the bullpen to make room for Nova. While this seems like a great idea that would give extra rest for Pineda and Tanaka (who they are understandably protecting), it could cause problem in the long run as the starters will have to alter their 5 day routines to compensate for the added day. The Yankees have instead recalled Esmil Rogers (designated for assignment and outrighted to Triple-A on June 13) and added him to the bullpen. One has to belive that a tough decision will need to be made once the All Star game comes or it may do more harm than good in the log run.