CC Sabathia feeling good, set to start Tuesday

For the previous five seasons, "disabled list'' might as well have been a foreign phrase to CC Sabathia. But Sabathia, who will return to the mound Tuesday night against the Blue Jays, looks at his stay on the DL -- his first since April 2006 -- as a blessing in disguise, saying, "I think the rest is good for my arm even more so than my leg.''

Sabathia has been on the DL since June 27 with a Grade 1 groin strain. He is one of the most durable pitchers in baseball, having thrown at least 230 innings in each of the previous five years.

"It [stinks],'' said Sabathia, who is 9-3 with a 3.45 ERA in 15 starts. "You feel like you're not contributing and helping the team. For me, it feels a little embarrassing, but it's part of the game. My arm feels good. I haven't felt my leg since the first week of the injury, so I will be ready to go."

Joe Girardi said Sabathia's pitch count will be monitored, although he didn't reveal a specific number that the lefthander will be allowed to throw.

"Just to be fair, to make sure he's able to bounce back his next start since he hasn't thrown a lot of pitches in the last 17, 18 days, I think you have to be careful," Girardi said.

Joba Chamberlain, meanwhile, is set to make his third rehab start Tuesday morning in a GCL game.