Joba trying to overcome three surgeries

MINNEAPOLIS -- It was, Joba Chamberlain said, a somewhat difficult 30-day stretch.

Chamberlain underwent Tommy John surgery June 16, which unexpectedly turned out to be the least painful procedure he would endure in the coming weeks. Early July brought an emergency appendectomy and, shortly after his release, an infection necessitated another surgery that kept him in the hospital another two weeks.

"Three surgeries in 25 days," said Chamberlain, who flew from his Nebraska home to Minneapolis Thursday morning and will spend the weekend with the team. "I would rather have about 10 Tommy Johns than two stomach surgeries. That was no fun."

But the pitcher's right elbow feels good to the point where Chamberlain said he's "ahead of schedule," and should begin some light throwing in about three weeks.

Decision day for Freddy

Freddy Garcia's right index finger, which suffered a cut in a kitchen accident last week, again didn't throw a bullpen Thursday. Girardi said the pitcher will try Friday but if Garcia still can't throw his splitter, the DL "definitely" is a possibility.

Still, Girardi said of the finger, "It's a lot closer than it was."

If Garcia can't pitch this weekend, A.J. Burnett will start Saturday and Ivan Nova will go Sunday, with both pitchers going on regular rest.

Who knows?

Senior vice president of baseball operations Mark Newman, in Scranton Wednesday, addressed the possibility of top pitching prospects Manny Banuelos and/or Dellin Betances being September call-ups.

"They're close, I never say never," Newman said. "And it depends on how they pitch. They certainly have the stuff to be there. It's happened in the past with us . . . If they get too focused on that instead of dealing with what they have to do deal with here, odds are it won't happen."

With Jim Baumbach