Wallace Matthews, ESPN Staff Writer 11y

Setback for Pineda

SAN DIEGO -- And the hits just keep on coming.

Fresh on the heels of the news that Derek Jeter's sore right calf was serious enough to send him to an MRI tube and could land him on the DL, Joe Girardi said that Michael Pineda would also be having an MRI on his surgically repaired right shoulder. Pineda, whom the Yankees had hoped would be able to return to their pitching staff during the second half of the season, complained of "stiffness" after a two-inning stint for Triple-A Scranton on Saturday.

"You know, I think with what he’s been through, we’re making sure that it’s nothing, but I can’t tell you 100 percent it’s not,'' Girardi said. Pineda will travel to New York to be examined by the Yankees team doctors on Monday.

Acquired in a trade with Seattle for catching prospect Jesus Montero in January 2012, Pineda has yet to pitch an inning for the Yankees. He experienced a mysterious loss of velocity in his first spring training with the club, and complained of shoulder pain after his final spring training start that year. He was found to have suffered a torn shoulder capsule and underwent surgery in March 2012. Pineda has been on an innings limit this year, throwing just 40 innings at various levels of the minor leagues so far. On Saturday, he allowed one hit and two walks in two scoreless innings for Scranton before leaving the game.

"He was built up to where if we needed him at any point, we could use him," Girardi said. "I think there was a possibility he was going to be here."

Asked if a Pineda return was now unlikely due to his shoulder discomfort, Girardi said, "I think you just got to wait to see what the tests show."

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