CC Sabathia has had many transformations over the years, from ditching the crunch berries and losing a ton of weight, to lessening his alcohol consumption. This season, he has decided to sport a rather bulky accessory, a knee brace.
Sabathia will pitch with arthritis in his knee, causing a lot of pain from the two bones rubbing on each other. The 35 year old will eventually require knee replacement surgery, the consequence of being a workhorse pitcher for a decade and a half. Originally, he elected to wear only a knee sleeve, which provided more flexibility but less support. When the big fella pitched with the brace on in his last five starts, he looked like the Sabathia of old, boasting a 2.17 ERA in 29 innings of work.
More stability and less pain in his knees will definitely give him more confidence, allowing him to focus on his mechanics. He’ll need every ounce of help he can get, with a crowded backend of the Yankees’ rotation, and a huge contract to back him up.
