Wang's injury will test Yankees' resolve

If the New York Yankees are going to climb back into the playoff race, it will have to be without their best pitcher. Ace Chien-Ming Wang is out indefinitely, and probably until September, after injuring his foot running the bases in an interleague game over the weekend in Houston.

And you have to chuckle at the response of Yankees co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner.

"My only message is simple: The National League needs to join the 21st century," Steinbrenner told the Associated Press. "They need to grow up and join the 21st century. I've got my pitchers running the bases, and one of them gets hurt. He's going to be out. I don't like that, and it's about time they address it. That was a rule from the 1800s."

Ah, we've missed that old Steinbrenner bluster the past few years. We know what his dad would do, aside from complaining about baseball rules that have been on the books since Abner Doubleday. He would go out and buy somebody through a trade. And that's where C.C. Sabathia comes into the picture.

The Cleveland Indians are floundering with their own injury problems, as just about every All-Star on their roster is also hurt. Sabathia is in a contract year, is pitching well of late, and is going to be worth more than the Indians can afford next season. It's time for the Indians to make a decision, and it's up to GM Mark Shapiro to create some competition on the market for Sabathia's rent-an-ace-for-a-few-months service.

"Although we don't comment on individual players, it's prudent for us to do due diligence to be buyers or sellers," Shapiro told Newsday, "so that if an opportunity presents itself, we can execute an intelligent trade."

The Red Sox, Dodgers, Cubs and Mets would also be in the running, among others, for Sabathia's short-term and long-term services. At the July 31 deadline, more pitching-starved contenders might be willing to part with a couple of prospects for Sabathia, such as the Brewers or Braves, for a short-term fix.

But it will probably all be up to the Yankees at some point. We know what George would do. Is Hank tempted break up the team's prospect nucleus for a quick fix?