YANKEE NOTES
MONTREAL – Joe Torre divulged yesterday that David Cone will start against the Mets, his former team, in the finale of a three-game Subway Series at Yankee Stadium.
“He will pitch Sunday night,” Torre said of Cone, who hasn’t won since April 28 when he tossed seven shutout innings against the Blue Jays and admits he is searching for answers.
“He pretty much left it to Mel [Stottlemyre] and I, which makes the decision a lot tougher. He said he feels fine and that he will do anything we want him to do,” Torre said
The 37-year-old Cone has a 1-6 record and chubby 6.49 ERA.
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Ramiro Mendoza, who was supposed to start Monday against the Expos, will now pitch Tuesday against the Red Sox. He played catch yesterday and will throw in the bullpen tomorrow.
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Chuck Knoblauch missed his third straight game last night with a sore left forearm that he says was no better yesterday than it was Sunday when he left a game in the ninth inning in Atlanta.
“Friday, we will look at it and if we aren’t getting any better, and he is no better today, we may think about shutting him down and see if we can get that thing out of there,” Torre said of the injury Knoblauch suffered when he tagged the Indians’ Kenny Lofton on the head on May 21 and has forced him to miss five games since.
Knoblauch spent yesterday receiving several forms of treatment and will repeat the program today at Yankee Stadium while the rest of the Yankees take a day off to prepare for the Subway Series.
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Yankees have a slight interest in struggling Phillies right-hander Andy Ashby, but with the Phillies seeking pitching in return, there isn’t a match unless the Yankees can work a third team into the picture.
Phillies talked to the Padres about swapping Ashby for Sterling Hitchcock, but then Hitchcock blew out his arm.
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Torre is taking his entire coaching staff plus batting practice pitcher/bullpen catcher Mike Borzello to the All Star Game in Atlanta.
Torre also will have Tampa Bay manager Larry Rothschild and Seattle skipper Lou Piniella on his AL staff.
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Roger Clemens (4-5; 4.18 ERA) draws LHP Al Leiter (6-1; 3.23) tomorrow night in the first game of the Subway Series at Yankee Stadium. Andy Pettitte (5-2; 4.56) faces RHP Bobby Jones (1-2; 9.64) Saturday and Cone (1-6; 6.49) takes on LHP Mike Hampton (6-5; 3.98).
