Minor Surgery For CC

Joel Sherman and George King had the scoop:

CC Sabathia was diagnosed with a minor meniscus tear of the right knee that will require surgery, The Post has learned.

Sabathia was diagnosed yesterday at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital and is expected to undergo surgery in the coming days. The Yankees do not consider the procedure significant and expect Sabathia to recover within three weeks and be fully ready for spring training.

Nevertheless, the worry with signing Sabathia to the largest-ever pitching contract always had been the two Ws: weight and workload. He has carried a lot of both, and, thus, it is hard to look at any surgery — especially on a joint — as minor.

The Yankees already are planning a full-court press for free agent Cliff Lee, and any concerns about their ace, Sabathia, only would make the Yankees more motivated to solidify the top of the rotation.

While the writers do make a valid point about needing help at the top of the rotation, one could argue that injuries like this can help make a case against Cliff Lee. As EJ noted earlier, there are risk inherent to signing older players, one of which is an increased likelihood of injury. Even a minor injury to a pitcher who is considered a “horse” might drive home the idea that handing a large contract to a pitcher on the wrong side of 30 may not be the most prudent idea. I still prefer Lee and would not shy away from handing him a big deal, but I am sure that health and age are two considerations that Brian Cashman will weigh when putting together an offer for the star lefty.

As for Sabathia, I am not a doctor and therefore cannot comment as to whether we should be concerned about his health going forward. I will say that many have told me that this is an outpatient procedure and should not be indicative of an underlying problem that could cause a recurrence. Hopefully this surgery becomes nothing more than a footnote to an otherwise healthy Yankee career for CC.

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