As long as it's not surgery, Montgomery's diagnosis is good news

Well, I blew it yesterday. An early report - Fake news! NO COLLUSION! Witch Hunt!- claimed Jordan Montgomery's strained elbow would cause him to miss only one or two measly starts, and I - ridiculously drunk from Yankee victories - lapped it up a like a bowl of Jameson. Never again. From now on, no optimistic chirps, bleats, moos or whinnies. A 2-1 count is not half-full. It's half-empty. Summer isn't here; it's almost over. 

That said, Montgomery's diagnosis is still good news - sorta. A strain is not a tear, and a rest is not a visit to Dr. Tommy John, and eight weeks is not 18 months... that is, unless the player to which you're referring is named "Jacoby." 

Not long ago, the Yankees brazenly drafted young pitchers with touchy elbows, unafraid of surgery. (Actually, they're still doing it; last summer's first round pick, Clarke Schmidt, was at the time recovering from TJ. He has yet to throw a pitch since turning pro.) They selected Andrew Brackman, Ty Hensley and Mark Melancon, despite questionable MRIs. They traded for the former future all-star, Humberto Sanchez. Some, like Melancon, took years to recover. Others, like Christian Garcia, died on the vine.

Recent post-TJ Yankees haven shown varying degrees of success:

Joba Chamberlain: Never was quite the same; certainly never lived up to (almost impossible) expectations. Sad story. Remember how he turned his elbow scar into a smiley face? He'll always be a fan fave at Old-Timers' Day. 

Nathan Eovaldi: Yankees cut him loose, he battled all the way back with Miami, and now he's hurt again. Makes Joba's case seem like a Judd Apatow comedy.

Ivan Nova: Was just as erratic after he was before. Then he went to Pittsburgh and excelled. Don't all ex-Yankees?

Michael Pineda: After returning, he certainly threw hard enough. Something tells me his problems were never in the elbow.

Chase Whitley: Not heavily hyped, compared to the above; Yanks let him go, resurfaced last year in Tampa, now in Atlanta. Hard to issue a verdict.

To this list, I am delighted to NOT add Montgomery's name. 

Six to eight weeks? Shit. That's a party weekend. I keep library videos out longer. Let's be generous and say eight. That means, say, 12-14 starts. 

Clearly, Domingo German has earned the right to two. Frankly, I think he should get three, at least. I also believe he may claim the spot outright (until elbow issues emerge.) Minor League journeyman David Hale could get two starts. (If he were pitching against the Yankees, Hale would surely throw a jem; they all do.) Same deal with AJ Cole, whoever he is. Adam Warren - now rehabbing from a bad back - could maybe throw a couple games in June. 

Then there is the magic bus from Scranton. Chance Adams was supposed to be our spring debutante; he's looked bad. (His manager blames the weather.) Daniel Camarena threw 7 shutout innings the other day. And Justus Sheffield is rumored to be promoted to Scranton soon. Any of them could take the slot, until the elbows go.  

Can we wrangle 12-14 starts from this crew? Obviously, Cooperstown Cashman is already trolling the waiver wires the way a humpback whale takes in plankton. He's looking for the 2018 version of Aaron Small. Or maybe the next Verlander?

It should be too early for bad teams to dump salary. But tear-downs seem to be happening earlier every season. By June 1, if no Yankee has stepped up, it's hard not to imagine Cashman cobbling together a package of prospects. By then, Montgomery would be a month away. But who knows where the Yankees will be? You can't predict baseball, Suzyn. But Monty should return, and though it's not the best news - NO COLLUSION! - I'll take it.