When Will Phil Hughes Return?
Just When is the Yankee Phenom Going to Pitch Again?
Yankee rookie Phil Hughes pulled a hamstring in May and was supposed to miss 4-6 weeks, which should have him back by June 19th. Now, some say he won't be back until 2008
Phil Hughes is good. Very good. The lanky right-hander with the delirium-inducing curveball was drafted as a 17-year old out of high school in the first round of the 2004 Amateur Draft by the New York Yankees. From that day on, the organization identified Hughes as their top minor league prospect. And Hughes justified that tag, going 21-7 with a 2.13 ERA during his two-plus seasons on the farm.
In fact, Hughes was so good, and the Yankees starting pitching situation was so bad, the team called the 20-year old kid up to the majors three months before they had planned. Hughes was a bit of a disappointment in his debut, pitching just four innings and surrendering four earned runs. But in his second start, he was the Phil Hughes the Yankees so adored, the Phil Hughes that Baseball America called the Number One pitching prospect in all of the minors last season.
On May 8th, against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Hughes mixed his 97 MPH fastball with a mid-70s curveball like no pitcher has since Dwight Gooden in 1985, and had a no-hitter in progress after 6 1/3 innings. Hughes walked three and struck out six, and he appeared to be getting stronger and more confident as the game wore on. Then it happened. On an 0-2 pitch to Mark Teixeira, Hughes appeared to tweak his right hamstring on his follow-through. He grabbed the back of his leg for a second, but then signaled to his catcher Jorge Posada that he was okay.
Nobody listened. About half the Yankee organization rushed the mound to attend to the young man that they believe is the future of their franchise. Hughes was taken off the field, hurt and probably more than a litle bit disappointed. The announcers remarked that it would likely be a "7 to 10 day thing." But this was in May, when the Yankees pitching staff appeared to be cursed by the ghost of Ted WIlliams, who must have had something to do with the seven Yankee pitchers that were then already on the shelf.
The next day the news was released. Hughes suffered a Grade 1 hamstring strain and would miss four to six weeks of action. So the fans and the organization expected to see Hughes back on the hill by about June 20th, at the latest. But on May 25, while he was rehabbing his game leg in Tampa, Hughes "rolled his ankle," causing a Grade 3 (severe) sprained ankle.
A few days later the Yankees extended Hughes' planned return to mid-August. But now, recent murmuring out of Yankee camp suggests that because the rotation seems to have righted itself, and because Hughes' value is more for the future, perhaps he won't picth until 2008. But the Yankees came out this week and reiterated that Hughes is on track and will be returning to action this summer.
So, it looks like some time in August that Phil Hughes will get the chance to hurl those last 2 2/3 no-hit innings.
