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Kennedy demoted; Igawa on horizon

BY ANTHONY RIEBER | anthony.rieber@newsday.com

May 5, 2008

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Brian Cashman says Ian Kennedy is "turning the corner" and "going in the right direction."

But Kennedy doesn't agree with the direction in which the general manager forced him to go yesterday. It starts on the Major Deegan Expressway and ends in Moosic, Pa., home of the Yankees' Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Triple-A team.

Kennedy, the rookie righthander who along with now-injured Phil Hughes was a key to the Yankees' 2008 plans, got the word yesterday morning when the team called up Darrell Rasner, who beat the Mariners in his season debut.

Kennedy, who is 0-2 with an 8.37 ERA, said he was surprised by the demotion, which had been speculated about since his last subpar outing Thursday. He said Saturday he "shouldn't be" the one to go down. The Yankees took a few days to decide that Kennedy, who has allowed 28 hits and 20 walks in 22 innings, would be better off in the minors than staying in the rotation or skipping a start or pitching out of the bullpen.

"I can't say I'm happy about it," Kennedy said. "I feel like I was making progress, but it was bound to happen if you don't win. Especially here."

Kennedy's descent means the ascent of lefthander Kei Igawa, the $46-million "investment" who likely will start in Kennedy's place Friday or Saturday in Detroit. Igawa has been pitching relatively well for Scranton; he's 3-3, 3.86 after allowing four runs in seven innings against Durham yesterday.

"He's doing OK and obviously, for Kei, it's important that he attacks the strike zone," manager Joe Girardi said.

So of the Yankees' big three young pitchers, only Joba Chamberlain is left standing. (No, this move doesn't mean Chamberlain is moving to the rotation any sooner than the original plan, Cashman said.) Hughes likely is out until July with a stress fracture in a rib after an 0-4, 9.00 April.

The Yankees banked much of their 2008 plans on Kennedy and Hughes being able to fill rotation spots. It hasn't worked out so far, as Johan Santana fan Hank Steinbrenner has noted more than once. The Yankees are 2-9 in the youngsters' starts.

"Based on what we saw [in 2007], we were comfortable - I was comfortable - that these players were part of this program and taking that ball every fifth day," Cashman said. "It hasn't worked out. But it's a long season."

Kennedy and Cashman said there were no promises made to the 23-year-old. If he pitches well, he could be back soon. But if Rasner and Igawa and the other starters hold their spots, Kennedy could spend much of the summer in the International League, a circuit he visited only briefly in 2007 as he rose quickly through the Yankees' chain.

"We'll get him going in the right direction at Triple-A," Cashman said. "Hopefully, we'll see him back at some point. But that will depend on him."

Kennedy started five times and made one relief appearance. Given that Cashman and Girardi and Kennedy all seem to think he's turning that corner - the one that leads to success, not Moosic - does that mean the Yankees' self-professed newfound patience with their young players isn't exactly as advertised?

"I guess this is normal," Kennedy said. "It's nothing out of the ordinary to send a rookie down. I'm just trying to be patient with it."