The first crack in the 2020 Death Star has emerged

First, let's acknowledge reality: The Yankees never tell the truth about injuries. That's not a knock. It's just how they roll. Knowledge is leverage, and Brian "Cooperstown" Cashman sees no point in giving it away. 

So, yesterday, Coop disclosed that No. 2 starter James Paxton recently underwent back surgery, after months of pelvic pillows and kegels didn't quell his pains. Paxton supposedly will miss three or four months. He'll return in June, that is, if you ever believe a word that is inscribed in the Yankees' vast internet sea of deceit.  

Frankly, there is no reason to put stock in any public statement by the Yankees, especially regarding tweaked and twisted thingamajigs. The franchise lies with impunity. Last March, they originally said Luis Severino would miss two weeks. He missed the season. Same with Aaron Hicks, Dellin Betances and Giancarlo Stanton: Their original injuries, when first disclosed, were painted as hiccups. In fact, we still wonder if they'll ever come back. (Also, let's be fair: It's not easy to diagnose the full extent of an injury. Nor could the Yankees have foreseen that so many players could be continually re-injured during rehab, a talent the team seemed to learn from Jacoby Ellsbury.) Here's a rule of thumb: When a Yankee goes down, just double the recuperation period; at least that way, you won't be disappointed. By that measure, Paxton will return in August, barely ready for the playoffs. Anybody wanna bet?

But Paxton's injury, which the Yankees knew of months ago, now explains why Cashman held onto J.A. Happ this winter. Shortly after signing Gerrit Cole, the team was said to be shopping the 37-year-old Happ to anybody willing to absorb his $17 million salary. But nothing Happ-ened. (Badabadoom.) In fact, Cashman might have been waiting to see how Paxton reacted to the CBD oil treatments. Also, Domingo German's girlfriend-abuse half-year suspension was yet to be rendered. By keeping Happ, Cashman avoided having to hear this blog SCREAM IN CAPITAL LETTERS for messing up the rotation. Everybody knows: You never have enough pitching. As it is, Severino is returning from a lost year, both Paxton and Masahiro Tanaka are returning from off-season surgery, Happ is returning from a life of disappointment, and Cole will be entering his first year of New York stress. There are plenty of reasons to worry about the Yankees pitching.

But don't worry about Paxton. He is 31 and entering his walk year. While it's true that losing three months will disqualify him from a Cy Young award-level contract, all he needs to do is pitch well in the post-season, and he will do just fine. 

The real question is, who's next? Yesterday, in listing the pitchers who will compete for Paxton's rotation slot, Cashman ironically mentioned Michael King, a 24-year-old kid from Rochester. Two years ago, King streaked through the Yankee farm system, compiling a 1.15 ERA in his final month at Scranton. Last February, he came to Tampa with an outside shot at making the rotation. He felt pain in spring training and was quickly shut down. Over the entire season, he pitched only 48 innings. Maybe this will be his year. Let's cross our fingers. But here's that damn reality again: There will be another Michael King in Tampa, a kid with high hopes who right now is in denial about the pain he's feeling. These young pitchers, they break our hearts.

And we won't know who to count on in 2020 until the actual games begin. Until then, we should believe nothing the Yankees say. After all, Cashman needs the leverage.