Notebook: Sabathia eager to pitch after lost month

NEW YORK – CC Sabathia hated so much of June, unable to do much but watch other Yankees play.

"It was a tough month," Sabathia said before Tuesday night's game against the Rays at Yankee Stadium. "It's been tough."

But the 33-year-old lefty is on the road back from the degenerative condition in his right knee, and now that road is the New Jersey Turnpike. Sabathia will head down to Trenton for his second rehab start, this one for the Double-A Thunder against Portland Wednesday night, appearing on just three days' rest after being pushed up a day.

"After that, it'll be every five days," Joe Girardi said.

Sabathia threw just 37 pitches Saturday for High-A Tampa in his first outing.

"No problems," Sabathia said. "I had a couple of balls where I had to move around and get over. I felt fine. I don't see it being any problem tomorrow, either. ...

"The fastball command is the biggest thing because I throw everything off of that. So it's been decent. Hopefully it won't take me too long and I can get back in the groove and starting pumping the strike zone."

Before he went on the 15-day DL May 11 — the Yankees moved him to the 60-day DL Tuesday — Sabathia was 3-4 with a 5.28 ERA in eight starts.

He's still hoping to become his old self again instead of an old self and make an impact for the injury-ravaged rotation. How much of an impact?

"I guess my impact the first couple of years here," Sabathia said. "Hopefully I can get back to that."

Miller time: The Yankees wanted a fresh arm in the bullpen after Monday night's 4-3, 12-inning loss to Tampa Bay. So they signed righty Jim Miller to a major-league deal and brought him up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. They optioned righty Jose Ramirez, who had been 0-2 with a 5.40 ERA in eight outings, including Monday night when he took the loss.

Miller went 1-0 with a 1.04 ERA in eight exhibition outings, then was 4-2 with a 2.85 ERA over 26 outings in Triple-A. He had been with the Orioles, Rockies and A's before his one outing last September with the Yankees.

"We're aware of what he can do," Girardi said.

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