David Phelps exits with right elbow inflammation

Just when things were starting to look up, just ever so slightly, for the New York Yankees and their beat-up starting rotation, they lost another pitcher to an injury on Sunday night.

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David Phelps only made it two innings on Sunday Night Baseball before having to exit the start with right elbow inflammation. He will head in for further evaluation this week.

From Wallace Matthews of ESPN New York:

"New York Yankees right-hander David Phelps left Sunday night’s game against the Boston Red Sox after two innings with what the team described as “right-elbow inflammation.”He will be evaluated by team doctors after the Yankees return to New York for a seven-game homestand that begins Monday night."

The 27-year-old Phelps has been steady and versatile of the Yankees. He has made 25 appearances, splitting his time between the bullpen and the starting rotation. 16 of those appearances have been starts.

He has a 3.89 ERA this season in 106.1 innings of work with a 1.35 WHIP and a 7.5 K/9 mark. Phelps has already thrown a career-high in innings, however, so the Yankees will surely bear that in mind as he has his elbow checked out this week.

Already without C.C. Sabathia for the remainder of the season, the Yankees are hoping to start getting guys back in the coming weeks. Masahiro Tanaka is set to test his elbow this week and Michael Pineda might be able to return in the next 10 days.

The Yankees now have to add Phelps to the list of guys on whom they need updates as they try to hold together a professional starting rotation for the final two months of the season.