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Injuries to Alex Rodriguez (pictured) and Jorge Posada have had a major impact on the Yankees.
"Yankees lose! Tha-a-a-a-a Yankees lose!"
It's getting a bit serious for the Bronx Bombers. Thursday's 5-2 loss primarily at the hands of Scott Kazmir (six shutout innings) officially has the Pinstripers last in the AL East. They've lost six of nine, are 20-22, and are making too regular a habit of slow starts in recent seasons. In 2007, they were 22-29 on June 1. In 2005, they were 39-39 on July 1. Blame injuries, blame Joe Girardi, blame Brian Cashman (Hank Steinbrenner does), but coming back from early-season deficits takes it out of a team, leaving them with less-then-maximum energy when the bell rings in October.
Yes, I believe the Yankees will pass the Rays and contend for another AL East crown. But here are the current flaws … and the fantasy implications thereof:
The starting rotation. Chien-Ming Wang (6-1, 2.90 ERA, 1.17 WHIP) is having the best season of his young career, and yet the starters are still a mess. Mike Mussina is the second-most effective guy in the bunch, but almost never gets out of the sixth inning. Andy Pettitte is the same guy we've seen the past two seasons: lots of moxie, but even more baserunners and unlikely to ever see the happy side of a 4.00 ERA. Ian Kennedy didn't pitch well in his return to the majors Thursday, while Phil Hughes is out for another couple months. The good news is that eventually, there will be wins galore to be had, once the New York lumber awakens.
Fantasy implications: Mussina's numbers aren't fluky. He doesn't have an inordinately high strand rate, and the league hasn't been particularly unlucky against him (in fact, you could make the argument it was very lucky against him in '07). He's only owned in 30 percent of ESPN.com leagues, and probably deserves higher. Also, I still refuse to write off Hughes all season. His curve is so nasty that if he gets his control together, he could be a post-All-Star break surprise.
The bullpen. Mariano Rivera and Joba Chamberlain are terrific, but everyone else is shaky. Whoever thought bringing in LaTroy Hawkins was a solid idea needs a talking-to, and while Kyle Farnsworth's numbers look good, having him pitch in close games is scary. Brian Bruney and Jonathan Albaladejo are out for the year, so unproven Edwar Ramirez and Jose Veras need to step up. And the team doesn't have a single lefty reliever at the moment, which begs the question: who pitches late in the game against David Ortiz?
Fantasy Implications: Yes, you worry about the starters losing wins, but the biggest story here will be Chamberlain. As a starter, he'd be intriguing, though he hasn't regularly thrown more than two pitches during his big-league career, and he's also never eclipsed 112 innings in a single season. The younger Steinbrenner has already said anyone who'd keep Joba a set-up man is an "idiot," so expect to see the switch made after the break.
The injuries. Losing Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada for the better part of a month isn't a disaster, unless the situation repeats in September. But it makes you realize how a few holes in a lineup, even New York's, can make a difference. After yesterday's game, Girardi said, "(Kazmir) threw what, 50 fastballs in a row? And we get one hit. That's not good. We're a better hitting club than that." A-Rod and Posada will return, but nobody believes that'll be the last of the owies on a team with this much age.
Fantasy Implications: Guys like Wilson Betemit, Morgan Ensberg, Shelley Duncan and Alberto Gonzalez will see their fantasy values ebb and flow, and the worry about how Hideki Matsui and Johnny Damon will split playing time seems like a moot point.
• Past editions: 5/15: Sabathia's shutout | 5/14: Keppinger injured | 5/13: Lee rolling
Jason Bergmann, Nationals
For just the second time in his 31 career major league starts, Bergmann allowed no earned runs, this time in seven innings against the Mets. His nine strikeouts tied for the second-most he's ever recorded in a game, and his ERA dropped from 11.68 to 7.45.
Kenny Rogers, Tigers
The 43-year-old lefty allowed a season-high 11 hits in four innings, along with seven earned runs against the Royals. Although it was his first loss since April 13, Rogers' ERA still stands at 6.65 for the season.
"You get the feeling there is going to be a major explosion if the Mets have a rough weekend against the Yankees, and it wouldn't be a shocker if Willie Randolph dropped into the crosshairs of the Mets' front office."
-- Buster Olney Full Story 
• Surprise! Nick Johnson is on the DL. This time it's because of a torn tendon sheath in his wrist, and he's expected to be out for at least a month. Dmitri Young will come off the DL to take his place, and Aaron Boone is expected to get some extra work at first base for the Nationals as well.
• The Brewers and Rays broke the bank with contract extensions: Milwaukee signed Ryan Braun to an eight-year, $45-million contract, while Tampa Bay signed Scott Kazmir to a three-year, $28.5-million deal. Kazmir comes with substantially more health risks than Braun at this stage in their careers. Each franchise essentially bought out its star's first two years of free agency (the Rays have an option in 2012 on Kazmir), which should look pretty smart by then, assuming each man stays healthy.
• David Riske isn't going to be the answer at the back end of the Brewers' bullpen; the team placed Riske on the 15-day DL with what it called an "elbow hyperextension" Thursday. The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports Riske may also have a bone spur in the elbow. The way prospective candidates are falling away, Eric Gagne may get his closing job back permanently, rather soon.
• Francisco Liriano went eight innings, allowed three runs and seven hits, and struck out four. He didn't get the win, but his control is looking better: Thursday he threw 93 pitches, 61 of which were strikes.
• Colorado's Ian Stewart and Texas' Ben Harrison each hit a grand slam and drove in six runs Thursday night. Harrison is 25 and his days of being a serious big-league outfield prospect seem behind him, but Stewart might be the minors' best hitting prospect right now. His OPS at Triple-A Colorado Springs is .982, but of course, he's blocked at third base by Garrett Atkins. Were the Rockies better, they'd consider dealing Stewart for a big-time arm to help them in the pennant race. As it is, he may be stuck in the minors most of this season.