Pettitte suffering from elbow inflamation
May 5, 2010, 8:25 pm by iYankees · 20 Comments

Via the indispensable Bryan Hoch of MLB.com:
Yankees left-hander Andy Pettitte was forced to leave his start against the Orioles on Wednesday with what an MRI examination revealed to be mild inflammation of his pitching elbow.The Yankees said that Pettitte will be treated conservatively and evaluated on a daily basis. Pettitte completed just five innings against Baltimore, hurling 77 pitches, before exiting with a lead and complaining of stiffness in his elbow area. He picked up his fourth victory in the Bombers’ 7-5 win.
Though this is a significant issue for the Yankees to overcome – Pettitte may or may not make his next start against Detroit, as Brian Cashman has indicated that the latter is most likely – for now, with some legitimate pitching depth in the form of Alfredo Aceves and Sergio Mitre, this is more a jab than it is a knockout. While Pettitte could miss some time, the Yankees will be able to absorb the loss, at least in the short-term. With an injured Andy Pettitte, “fixing” Javier Vazquez becomes an even more pressing issue. If he can right the ship, Pettitte’s status becomes less of a concern.
Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images

