With an already questionable starting rotation heading into Spring Training 2015, the New York Yankees recently lost starter Hiroki Kuroda, who returned to the Hiroshima Toyo Carp of Japan's Nippan League. The Yankees, though, may have gotten a boost in the rotation as left-hander CC Sabathia has announced that he expects to report to Spring Training on time and fully recovered from July knee surgery that ended his 2014 season very early.

MLB.com's Andrew Simon reports that Sabathia expressed that he feels no pain or discomfort in his right knee, the knee that needed repair. Sabathia had surgery on July 23 to repair degeneration. The condidtion ended Sabathia's season on May 10, and speculation began as to whether or not the veteran lefty would ever pitch in the Majors again. Sabathia, though, declared on January 9 that his knee and his throwing arm both feel well, and he is ready to report to camp on February 20 with the rest of the Yankees' pitchers and catchers. Said Sabathia,

"I feel good, I don't have any pain, no nothing. My arm feels good."

Sabathia was one of four Yankee starters on the Opening Day roster to leave the 2014 rotation with injury. He did not return; neither did Ivan Nova, who left the rotation on April 20 to have Tommy John surgery. Michael Pineda and Masahiro Tanaka both returned at the end of the season to pitch well.

Sabathia finished his season making only eight starts and compling a record of 3-4 with a 5.28 ERA and 1.28 WHIP. He managed two Minor League rehab starts before opting for the surgery, but those did not go well (seven earned runs in six innings), prompting him to have the procedure.

Sabathia has two years left on his contract at a $24-million average annual value plus a 2017 option for $25 million with a $5-million buyout. A contract like that for a 37-year-old veteran returning from knee surgery would make it very diffcult for the Yankees to trade him, and he is one of three players (Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez) on the roster with similarities regarding both contract and health. 

In his career, Sabathia is 208-119 with a 3.63 ERA and 1.24 WHIP in 14 years with the Cleveland Indians, Milwaukee Brewers, and Yankees. He has made six American League All-Star teams, and he won the A.L. Cy Young award in 2007 with Cleveland. His last two years did not go as well (17-17, 4.78 ERA in 40 combined starts), but he and the Yankees hope to see some of the same Sabathia performance from the past that led him to his huge contract in December of 2008 and continued for the first four years of his Yankee tenure (74-29, 3.22 ERA). Sabathia's goal, though, is simply to stay healthy and pitch as well as he can for the Yankees: "If I can be healthy, I'm sure all that other stuff will fall in place." 

Heading into Spring Training, the likely five-man rotation appears to consist of Sabathia, Pineda, Tanaka, and Chris Capuano with the fifth spot up for grabs. Adam Warren and Chase Whitley could become strong candidates.