Philip Hughes Loses No-Hit Bid, Healthy Hamstring

The baseball gods really do have a sick and twisted sense of humor. After the Yankees had their rotation absolutely decimated by injury, they were left with no other option than to call up uber-prospect Philip Hughes last week, probably a good half season earlier than they were anticipating.

So what happens? The kid took a no-hitter into the seventh inning in just his second big-league start when, BOOM, he's forced out of the game with a hamstring injury. And, as you probably expected given how things have gone for the Yanks this year, it doesn't look like it's just a minor tweak. No, this poor kid, who hasn't even worn the pinstripes long enough for anyone to hold it against him, is headed to the disabled list for at least the next month. (As for the no-no, reliever Mike Myers quickly coughed up a couple of hits after replacing Hughes, who at least was credited with the win.)

I'm not a Yankees fan and until this season I never thought I'd be looking at them with a sympathetic eye, but seriously, some things just aren't fair. But have the Yankees simply been unlucky, or should their new strength coach Marty Miller be held accountable?

"I think that question's already been raised," [Mike] Mussina said. "I don't know if it's been answered. That's not my job."

I don't know about you, but that doesn't sound like a guy who's completely bought into Miller's guidance. Of course, it's understandable if Mussina is a little suspicious, since both he and Chien-Ming Wang have also missed time with hamstring injuries. (Carl Pavano has missed three weeks with a strained forearm, but come on, it's Carl freakin' Pavano -- people set their watches with his trips to the trainers room.) Count GM Brian Cashman among those looking at Miller's methods:

"You get concerned about it, there's no doubt about it," Cashman said. "You try and figure out if there's any connection. You start wondering. Some of them are explainable more so than others. We have to look into everything."

Previously on FanHouse:
Philip Hughes Has an OK Start, Yankees Drop Sixth Straight