Adding to the power outage in the Bronx, switch-hitting catcher Jorge Posada's status is far more grave then Rodriguez's. The catcher looks to be on the shelf for at least the month of May by most reports, removing another capable RBI threat from an already depleted lineup.

Equally damaging to their defense, Posada's presence and stability behind the plate have been sorely missed, shown most predominately by the team's young pitchers — Hughes and Kennedy — struggling mightily to achieve effectiveness at the Major League level. Without Posada's intelligent support and guidance behind the plate, nursing the Yankees' young guns along, the growth of these youthful pitchers may be further obstructed; a prospectus the Yankees can't afford to allow to materialize.

The extensive list of injured players is rounded out by starters Phil Hughes, Sean Henn, and Jeff Karstens, reliever Brian Bruney, and power-hitting utility man Wilson Betemit. The loss of the trio of young arms has proven especially damaging to the team's current situation as they scramble through the ranks of their farm system, desperate for a pitcher to competently round out the back end of their rotation.

Brian Cashman's offseason decision to forgo the pursuit of Johan Santana was the definitive statement of the Yankees' new philosophical youth movement. In an effort to shift the team's reliance from high-priced free agents to homegrown farm system products, Cashman placed his figurative bets on two young arms; a wager that is always accompanied by long odds and inconsistent returns.

A month of baseball is obviously far too soon to pass final judgment on Hughes and Kennedy — two "kids" still in their early 20s — but the early returns are horrific. Both pitchers have experienced chronic deficiencies of control and command, constantly getting themselves into bad counts and bad situations. In Kennedy's case, his lack of so called "electric stuff" makes pinpoint accuracy a vital necessity. Without it, he resembles a pitcher unable to compete on the major league level.

In Hughes' case, the injury to his rib may have been affecting his performance (and curveball), but ill health is becoming a theme throughout his short career. Many have compared Hughes to Kerry Wood. This parallelism may prove to be more ironic than complimentary.

Now with Hughes' injury, the Yankees turn to Darrel Rasner, once again up from the AAA ranks in Columbus. At best, the Yanks hope Rasner will keep them in games long enough to flex their dormant offensive muscle and hold a lead into the 8th when things become far more manageable as the game enters the realm known as Joba-time.

Even if Rasner does prove serviceable, New York finds itself with a lack of the necessary firepower in their rotation to overcome the most dangerous offenses in the AL.

Chien-Ming Wang is easily one of the top five pitchers in baseball and will continue to frustrate lineups with his devastating 90-plus mph sinker, but beyond that the proverbial cupboard is looking more barren with each passing game.