note: the above-fold portion of this post has been revised since it was initially posted

With the Yankees having won nine of their last twelve games and having scored an average of nearly nine runs in their last six games, I was champing at the bit during the three-day All-Star break, enthusiastically anticipating this weekend's four-game showdown with the rival Red Sox.

Then I heard the news that Chien-Ming Wang, whom I recently dubbed the Yankees ace, was placed on the 15-day DL with inflamation in his pitching shoulder, the same shoulder he had operated on four years ago, causing him to miss the entire 2001 season. That surgery was to repair a torn labrum and was performed by Dr. James Andrews. Wang will be examined by Andrews in Birmingham, Alabama on Monday morning for a second opinion. Yankee team doctor Stuart Hershon has already made a diagnosis that the Yankees are not releasing until after Wang sees Andrews, though according to the comments to Alex's last post, Ruben Sierra (?!) has said that Wang could be out for the season. I'm going wait until I hear something from a more official source, but if that's the case, the Yankees should start planning for 2006, because Wang's won't be the only season ended by this injury.

The Yankees have actually known about this injury since Monday. Wang pitched what appeared to be an uneventful bullpen session on Sunday, but woke up with pain in his shoulder on Monday morning, at which point Hershon examined him and made his undisclosed diagnosis.

To replace Wang, Tim Redding has joined Darrell May in the Yankee rotation, which is still only four men "deep." The Yankees still hope to have Carl Pavano and Kevin Brown back soon (both of whom are already eligible to be activated), but according to Cashman, Pavano is still about two weeks away. Brown meanwhile is scheduled to pitch a bullpen session tomorrow and could start in Texas or Anaheim next week. Still, it seems likely that the Yanks will need a spot starter in addition to Redding and May, the latter of whom has not been officially announced as the starter for either Sunday or Monday.

ESPN has Tanyon Sturtze listed among their probables for the Red Sox series (though they are clearly incorrect as they also have Wang listed, but not Randy Johnson). If Sturtze is indeed Torre's choice (and a quick look at the Clippers' stats doesn't result in a preferable option), I would hope the Yankees would be able to activate Felix Rodriguez to take his spot in the pen (though, there's no guarantee that he'd do any better than Jason Anderson, whose hasn't had an opportunity to prove himself, and whose spot Rodriguez will likely take).

However you shake it, the Yankee rotation is in shambles just when their offense appears ready to carry them to another pennant. In order to make hay against the Sox this weekend, they may have to score an average of 15 runs per game.

Speaking of whom . . .

Boston Red Sox

2005 Record: 49-38 (.563)
2005 Pythagorean Record: 48-39 (.549)

Manager: Terry Francona
General Manager: Theo Epstein

Ballpark (2004 park factors): Fenway Park (106/105)

Who's replaced whom?

Curt Schilling (DL) replaces Keith Foulke (DL)
Chad Bradford replaces Matt Mantei (DL)
Alex Cora replaces Ramon Vazquez (Cle)
Adam Stern replaces Jay Payton (A's)
Doug Mirabelli (DL) repalces Kelly Shoppach (minors)
Jeremi Gonzalez replaces Kevin Youkilis (minors)

Current Roster

1B – Kevin Millar
2B – Mark Bellhorn
SS – Edgar Renteria
3B – Bill Mueller
C – Jason Varitek
RF – Trot Nixon
CF – Johnny Damon
LF – Manny Ramirez
DH – David Ortiz

Bench:

L - John Olerud (1B)
R – Doug Mirabelli (C)
L – Alex Cora (IF)
L – Adam Stern (OF)

Rotation:

R – Matt Clement
R – Tim Wakefield
R – Wade Miller
R – Bronson Arroyo
L – David Wells

Bullpen:

R – Curt Schilling
R – Mike Timlin
L – Alan Embree
L – Mike Myers
L – John Halama
R - Chad Bradford
R - Jeremi Gonzalez

DL:

R – Keith Foulke
R – Matt Mantei

Typical Line-up

L – Johnny Damon (CF)
R – Edgar Renteria (SS)
L – David Ortiz (DH)
R – Manny Ramirez (LF)
L – Trot Nixon (RF)
S – Jason Varitek (C)
R – Kevin Millar (1B)
S – Bill Mueller (3B)
S – Mark Bellhorn (2B)

The Red Sox went absolutely nuts in interleague play in June, winning 12 of 13, but since then they're just 5-8. On the season their runs scored and against are alarmingly similar to the Yankees' totals (478-431 for the Yanks to 473-429 for the Red Sox), making these two teams about as evenly matched as they've ever been (which is saying something).

Most encouraging for Yankee fans is the Boston bullpen's 5.63 ERA. Mike Timlin and LOOGY Mike Myers are the only pitchers to have appeared in more than four games out of the Boston bullpen and posted an ERA below Keith Foulke's 6.23. Foulke is now on the DL, replaced by the Curt Schilling experiment. Schilling is one of two Boston "relievers" activated for this series. The other is Chad Bradford, who was acquired from the A's for Jay Payton over the All-Star break. Bradford has yet to throw a pitch this season after having lower back surgery on March 7 as a result of the strain placed on his back by his submarine delivery.

So what we have this weekend are the first and third best offenses in the majors facing the sixth and ninth worst pitching staffs respectively, the "better" of which has been torn to shreds by injury. And this is taking place over four games in Fenway park. Cover your heads, kids, this is gonna be ugly.