Chien-Ming Wang Returns to Yankee Rotation Thursday

The Yankees shook up their starting rotation on Wednesday by announcing that Chien-Ming Wang will move into the starting rotation. Wang will start on Thursday afternoon at Yankee Stadium against the Rangers, pushing CC Sabathia back to Friday against the Rays and Phil Hughes into the bullpen.

The move comes after a pair of strong relief outings by Wang, who is recovering from a trip to the disabled list and three awful starts to begin the season. Joe Girardi told reporters that they chose to start Wang tomorrow instead of Friday because he wanted to get a right-hander between Sabathia and Andy Pettitte, who starts on Wednesday night.

Girardi also said that the team felt they had to get Wang back into the rotation now, or risk a situation where he wasn't ready to start a game when circumstances forced the issue. He's expected to throw between 75 and 80 pitches.

The Rangers won't provide an easy route back into starting for Wang, who gave up 23 runs in six innings over his three April starts. He's thrown five scoreless innings in his last two appearances, though, and has flashed signs of the sinker that helped him win 54 games in his first four seasons as a Yankee.

If Brian Bruney and Damaso Marte come back from injuries, and Wang shows his old form you'd imagine Hughes would return to Scranton and resume a starting role. Girardi said the organization still views him as a starting pitcher in the long term, but won't hesitate to use him in any relief role starting on Friday night.

"We take it in a short period of time, because we don't know what happens next week," Girardi said. "I think he can pitch some important innings for us."

Hughes has never pitched in relief during the regular season, but did relieve Roger Clemens and pick up the win in Game Three of the 2007 ALDS against the Indians.