From Newsday

Hughes out at least 4 weeks with rib stress fracture

BY ANTHONY RIEBER | anthony.rieber@newsday.com

May 2, 2008

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Phil Hughes someday may turn into the kind of pitcher who will justify Brian Cashman's faith in turning down the Johan Santana trade.

That day, however, will have to wait - perhaps until after the All-Star break, at the very least.

That's how long Hughes could be out with a stress fracture of a rib on his right side, an injury that was discovered yesterday. Cashman made the surprising announcement in the dugout before the Yankees played the Tigers at Yankee Stadium.

"He's going to be down for an extended period of time," said the Yankees general manager, who could not rule out Hughes' missing the rest of the first half of the season.

Hughes, 21, originally was thought to have a strained oblique muscle. X-rays and an MRI yesterday revealed the stress fracture in the ninth rib. Cashman said he will not throw for at least a month, possibly longer. "The time frame for his injury is now longer," he said. "He will not do anything for four weeks at all in terms of throwing."

Cashman said four weeks is the best-case scenario. There's no guarantee the rib will be healed by then, he said. Once it is, Hughes will have to work himself into game shape in the minors.

Hughes, who is 0-4 with a 9.00 ERA, has been a major disappointment. Cashman, who is in the final year of his contract, is on the hook for nixing a deal with the Twins for Santana, in part because he didn't want to lose Hughes.

"I made a long-term recommendation and I'm very comfortable with that," Cashman said. "Anything in the short term doesn't change that."

Hughes said he first felt something in his right side a week ago in Chicago when he coughed. He didn't think much of it. He felt it again during a poor start against Detroit on Tuesday and really felt it when he woke up Wednesday. "I'm at a complete loss as far as the cause of it," he said. "I have no idea. I was worried about what it was. There was something going on there, obviously."

Hughes missed three months last season with a pulled hamstring and then an ankle injury he suffered while rehabbing in Tampa. He returned to become one of the Yankees' best starters down the stretch and was their only winning pitcher in the playoffs, in a relief role against the Indians.

But there was no carry-over from his strong 2007 finish to this season. The Yankees had been considering demoting Hughes to Triple-A in the hopes he could get straightened out. Now they have to consider what options they have to replace him for a big chunk of the season - Darrell Rasner will start in his place Sunday - and they must be wondering if their prized prospect is injury-prone.

"He hasn't been here long enough," Cashman said. "I try not to label anybody injury-prone. He had a hamstring issue last year. This I don't know when it happened and how it happened . . . I think now we have a better idea why his fastball command has been off."

Cashman said Hughes' absence will not change his plans regarding Joba Chamberlain, who will stay in the bullpen.