The Yankees have replaced starting centerfielder Melky Cabrera on the roster due to a hamstring injury. He played in 4 games in the World Series and he was 2 for 13 (.154 avg, .308 OPS) with 1 run scored. Cabrera has a solid post season overall playing in 13 games for the Yankees in which he was 13 for 48 (.271 avg, .627 OPS) with 5 runs scored and 4 RBIs. Brett Gardner will now be the starting center fielder for the Yankees which will increase the team speed both on defense and at the bat. He has played in 3 games during the World Series and he is 0 for 2 with 1 run scored. Gardner has played in 12 games this post season and he is 2 for 5 (.400 avg, .800 OPS) with 3 runs scored and 1 stolen base. 24-year old switch hitting infielder Ramiro Pena has been added to the World Series roster. Pena played in 69 games during the regular season for the Yankees and he was 33 for 115 (.287 avg, .700 OPS) with 17 runs scored, 1 homer, 10 RBIs and 4 stolen bases.

The Yankees are a little reluctant to remove Alfredo Aceves or Phillip Hughes from the bullpen right now as that’s where they are needed the most. But, the #5 spot in the starting rotation is beginning to be a huge problem for the Yankees. Chien Ming-Wang is out for the season and that might be a good thing based on how he pitched this season. Wang pitched in 12 games (9 starts) for the Yankees this season and he was 1-6 with a 9.64 ERA and a 2.02 WHIP. He allowed a stunning 66 hits in only 42 innings before being shut down for the season. Righty Sergio Mitre is the current #3 starter for the Yanks and he has also been awful. He has started 3 games for the Yankees and he is 1-0 with a 7.90 ERA and a 1.98 WHIP. The Yankees will likely be hunting for a veteran starting pitcher in August if they can somehow get one to slide through waivers. That’s because the AAA team has a lot more pitchers like Mitre (failed veterans).

The Yankees will be without outfielder Brett Gardner for a while after he broke his left thumb sliding into 2B. Gardner has played in 85 games for the Yankees this season in which he was 55 for 200 (.275 avg, .754 OPS) with 36 runs scored, 3 homers, 20 RBIs and 20 stolen bases. Gardner’s injury opens the door for Melky Cabrera to be the everyday CF for the Yankees. Cabrera has played in 91 games for the Yanks this season and he is 77 for 270 (.285 avg, .780 OPS) with 38 runs scored, 8 homers, 35 RBIs and 5 stolen bases. The Yankees will miss Gardner’s speed while he is out of action but Cabrera should do a decent job.

The Yankees have placed righty reliever Brian Bruney on the 15-day disabled list with right elbow discomfort. Bruney has pitched in 10 games for the Yanks this season and he is 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA and a 0.56 WHIP. He has whiffed 13 batters while only allowig 3 hits in 9 innings with the Yankees this season. Losing Bruney is a big blow to the Yankees bullpen as they were depending on him to help set up things for closer Mariano Rivera. The Yankees have recalled righty reliever David Robertson to replace Bruney in the bullpen. Robertson has pitched in 7 games for the Yanks this season and he is 0-0 with a 2.84 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP. He has only allowed 4 hits while whiffing 9 batters in only 6 1/3 innings for the Yanks.

The Yankees have placed 33-year old switch hitting catcher Jorge Posada on the 15-day disabled list with inflammation in his left shoulder. Posada has played in 23 games for the Yankees thus far this season and he is 24 for 77 (.312 avg, .986 OPS) with 10 runs scored, 5 homers, 20 RBIs and 1 stolen base. The Yankees will no doubt miss Posada’s bat but with Jose Molina replacing him the defense will be improved. Molina has played in 14 games so far for the Yanks and he is 10 for 38 (.263 avg, .675 OPS) with 3 runs scored, 1 homer and 5 RBIs. In a surprise move the Yanks recalled 23-year old righty swinging rookie Francisco Cervelli over veteran Kevin Cash to back up Molina. Cervelli was the #21 rated prospect in the Yankees’ system coming into this season according to Baseball America. But, he’s off to a rough start to the 2009 season. In 16 AA-games this year, Cervelli was 11 for 58 (.190 avg, .576 OPS) with 8 runs scored, 2 homers and 7 RBIs. He played in 3 games last September for the Yankees and he was 0 for 5 with 3 whiffs. Look for Molina to play most of the games while Posada is out of action.