“With elbows it’s a lot more predictable. With shoulders, you take him off the radar screen and bring him back as the injury allows. But I don’t think we can count on him for next year at all,” Rothschild said.

Pineda missed the entire 2012 season due to a tear in his throwing shoulder, but he and the Yankees expected him to be back for spring training. However, the team is no longer leaning on him to contribute next season. Details haven’t been released, but it may take Pineda a season before he returns to his full capacity, if he’s ever able to at all.

This is generally the case with major arm injuries since pitchers have to build up their arm strength after such extensive time off. Rothschild notes that elbows are more predictable than shoulders, meaning the team can’t be as certain regarding Pineda’s timeframe for return.

The Yankees acquired Pineda from the Seattle Mariners last offseason in exchange for slugger Jesus Montero. While Montero wasn’t overly impressive in his first season with the M’s, the trade has been a disaster for the Bombers so far considering Pineda’s injury issues.