A funny thing happend on Phil Hughes’ road to stardom. Phil Hughes: Here he comes again... again. (AP) In his second-ever start, Hughes flirted with a no-hitter, and then he got hurt. Injuries returned again in 2008, limiting him to just 34 innings that season. In 2009, Hughes moved to the bullpen to ...

Wondering: Isn’t sending Phil Hughes to the bullpen the same thing as saying he isn’t going to pitch unless the Yankees are losing?  Read More →

Phil Hughes was originally scheduled to pitch Monday’s make-up game against the Twins, but is being pushed back into the subsequent Rays series because of some back spasms he experienced in the weight room on Saturday. Any injury concern this close to the playoffs is a bad thing, but if Hughes’ ...

Phil Hughes: Electricity Comes from Other Planets. (AP) Far more than hitters, pitchers are a moving target. Last night, just before the Yankees and Mariners took the field, I was reading a chapter written by statistician Dan Turkenkopf for a new book I’m editing. Dan made the point that in certain ...

On Tuesday night, the Yankee Stadium grounds crew attempted to hold back the ocean with a rake. (AP) Tuesday night’s Yankees-Orioles game was one of the most ridiculous games in recent memory, piling absurdity upon absurdity into the wee hours of the morning. The game didn’t officially start ...

Just kidding. Not every prospect hits a home run in his first at-bat, or even his first cup of coffee. Heck, the great Tyrus Raymond Cobb himself hit only .240 in his first go-round. Give Montero time and he’ll come around. The Georgia Peach: Even he took awhile to get going. (AP) I was just thinking ...

I'm just going to keep using this image of A.J. Burnett. (AP) Not sure what caused more shaking around here, this afternoon’s earthquake tremor or Brian Cashman saying that there are “no guarantees” that A.J. Burnett remains in the rotation after his next start. That’s quite the turnaround ...

A.J. Burnett was underwhelming once again on Monday night. (AP) The Yankees ongoing rotation saga continues. Since we last discussed it, Brian Cashman spoke out in A.J. Burnett’s defense and offered a quote for the ages, Phil Hughes delivered six strong innings against the Rays, and the rotation’s ...

Rafael Soriano's return should strengthen what's already become a strong bullpen in his absence. (AP) If you stuck around until the bitter end of Sunday night’s four hour and 15 minute sufferfest, it’s not hard to get worked up about the Yankees snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, ...

Phil Hughes dominated the White Sox in his best outing of the season. (AP) Phil Hughes came into Tuesday night’s start against the White Sox with the strong suggestion that his spot in the rotation was on the line. From the outset of the game — whose start was delayed by the threat of rain — ...

Phil Hughes wasn't sharp enough on Wednesday to se the Yankees' minds at ease. (AP) On an afternoon that featured three big deadline-oriented deals and an Ervin Santana no-hitter, Phil Hughes scuffling was not news. On the contrary, it was easy to see from a mile away that the 25-year-old right ...

Phil Hughes threw his best start of the season on Sunday against the Blue Jays. (AP) Phil Hughes put together his best start of the season on Sunday, enabling the Yankees to leave Canada with a split of their four-game series against the Blue Jays. Pitching on 10 days’ rest due to the All-Star ...