Jennings: Wang’s locker is empty

Man on the scene Chad Jennings notes that Chien-Ming Wang’s locker in the Triple-A Scranton clubhouse is empty, and he is no longer listed on the team’s upcoming pitching rotation. This could mean one of two things: a) he’s on his way back to New York (he won’t necessarily be activated right away), or b) he’s heading to High-A Tampa because the team doesn’t want him starting on the road when he makes his next scheduled start on Friday (both AAA & AA are on the road that day, so a start would have to come with High-A Tampa). My money’s on the former.

If they feel he is indeed ready to return to the rotation, the best course of action appears to be letting Wang start Friday against the Phillies on regular rest, pushing AJ Burnett and Andy Pettitte back a day. Phil Hughes would start tomorrow then be pulled from the rotation, while CC Sabathia and Joba Chamberlain remain on a five-day schedule. They could also opt to skip Joba and give Hughes another start. The possibilities are endless. The important thing is that it appears the Yanks’ incumbent ace is ready to rejoin the team.