Andy Pettitte's Return to the Majors Scheduled For Sunday

Photo Credit: Kris J. Murante/AP Photo

The New York Yankees have pieced together a starting rotation for most of this season. Everything started going downhill when the prize acquisition of the offseason, young phenom Michael Pineda, went on the DL to begin the season. Then, in a rehab start, he sustained an injury to his shoulder, which required season-ending surgery. If this wasn't bad enough, there has been the struggles of Freddy Garcia and Phil Hughes. Garcia was so terrible that he has already been delegated to the bullpen in favor of rookie David Phelps. Through his first four starts, Garcia had an ERA of 12.51. The somewhat encouraging news is that he has thrown four scoreless innings since joining the bullpen. Hughes has had an up-and-down season. His ERA on the season stands at 6.67, due in large part to his inability to finish off hitters.

The bottomline to all this is that the rotation has struggled. With a collective ERA of 5.54 (11th in the American League), the Yankees need help. They are hoping that comes in the form of a vintage Yankee of glory past, Andy Pettitte. During the offseason, Pettitte informed the Yankees of his desire to come out of retirement. The Yankees were more than happy to sign him to a one-year deal. They knew they might need him for such a time as this. Pettitte, a 16-year veteran, last pitched in the majors in 2010. He went 11-3 with a 3.28 ERA for the Yankees. The Yankees would be pleased with anything close to those numbers.

Pettitte has made four minor league starts so far this season, going 0-2 with an 3.72 ERA. While those numbers may not be the best, both Pettitte and the Yankees believe he is ready to make an impact in the majors. Pettitte told reporters after his last start that, "I feel like I am ready to go up, and I think they're ready for me to come up. I felt good. I felt as strong in the last inning as I did in the first inning. For me, that was another good test." The team announced that Pettitte will make his return to the Yankees Sunday at home against the Seattle Mariners. Will Andy Pettitte be the saving grace the Yankees need? That remains to be seen. But if anyone could do it, I am confident that it is the reliable old veteran Pettitte.