Joba Chamberlain may not be a member of the New York Yankees' starting rotation after all.
Chamberlain will spend the beginning of the 2008 season as a setup man in the Yankees bullpen, according to a report Tuesday on the New York Post's web site.
Citing anonymous team officials, the Post reported that the Yankees will use the hard-throwing Chamberlain as a setup man in April and May, barring an injury to another of the team's top starters.
Chamberlain, 22, burst on to the scene as a rookie reliever late last season, going 2-0 with a 0.38 ERA in 19 appearances. The burly righthander allowed only one earned run while recording 34 strikeouts over 24 innings.
New York had planned on returning Chamberlain to the starting rotation - where he spent the majority of his minor league and college career - in 2008.
But according to the Post, the Yankees do not want Chamberlain, who experienced arm problems in college, to throw more than 140 innings this season. The report also stated that the Yankees still have not determined who else to use as a setup man for closer Mariano Rivera.
Chamberlain was slated to be a member of a rotation which also includes Chien-Ming Wang, Andy Pettitte, Mike Mussina and Phil Hughes. The Post report stated that Ian Kennedy would fill the No. 5 spot in the rotation.
Chamberlain will spend the beginning of the 2008 season as a setup man in the Yankees bullpen, according to a report Tuesday on the New York Post's web site.
Citing anonymous team officials, the Post reported that the Yankees will use the hard-throwing Chamberlain as a setup man in April and May, barring an injury to another of the team's top starters.
Chamberlain, 22, burst on to the scene as a rookie reliever late last season, going 2-0 with a 0.38 ERA in 19 appearances. The burly righthander allowed only one earned run while recording 34 strikeouts over 24 innings.
New York had planned on returning Chamberlain to the starting rotation - where he spent the majority of his minor league and college career - in 2008.
But according to the Post, the Yankees do not want Chamberlain, who experienced arm problems in college, to throw more than 140 innings this season. The report also stated that the Yankees still have not determined who else to use as a setup man for closer Mariano Rivera.
Chamberlain was slated to be a member of a rotation which also includes Chien-Ming Wang, Andy Pettitte, Mike Mussina and Phil Hughes. The Post report stated that Ian Kennedy would fill the No. 5 spot in the rotation.
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