The Yankees’ rotation has been roughed up by all manner of injuries this week, from CC Sabathia’s knee inflammation to a 10-day DL assignment for Masahiro Tanaka’s shoulder. Rookie starter Jordan Montgomery joined the ranks of injured pitchers after taking a batting practice line drive to the back of his head on Saturday.
According to MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch, Montgomery was signing autographs down the right field line when the Red Sox’ Sandy Leon inadvertently struck him with the ball. While shaken, he remained conscious and was evaluated by the club’s medical staff, who eventually cleared him for his scheduled start on Sunday. Whether the Yankees stick to that decision remains to be seen; head injuries are nothing to mess around with, and the team has been through enough trauma with their rotation this week.
Montgomery, 24, was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Friday to cover CC Sabathia’s spot in the rotation. The rookie left-hander went 7-6 in 21 starts for the big league club earlier this season, carrying a 4.05 ERA, 2.7 BB/9 and 8.6 SO/9 through 115 2/3 innings.
