Players like Derek Jeter, Curtis Granderson, Nick Swisher and Raul Ibanez have been red-hot to start the 2012 campaign, and are really the only reason that the Yankees have managed a 20-15 record at this point in the season.  

The heart of the order has stumbled out of the gate, as has the starting pitching staff as a whole, and when Mariano Rivera went down with a season-ending ACL injury, even the Yankees' greatest strength, their lock-down bullpen, took a major hit.

However, as of late, things have begun to turn around for a handful of key Yankees figures. If these guys can keep moving in the right direction and pick it up, then things are about to heat up in the Bronx.

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Right-hander Cody Eppley has been recalled, according to Mark Feinsand of the NY Daily News.

This is just the latest item of bad news for the Yankees, who have been plagued by the injury bug for the past two weeks. Not only did it end the season of the greatest closer of all time, it delayed the return of speedy outfielder Brett Gardner (who suffered a setback in rehab last week) and forced an early end to Ivan Nova's outing Monday evening in Baltimore (due to a sprained ankle).

David Phelps would be the likely choice to return to the rotation if Nova misses any starts, since he has been much better as a starter this year than Freddy Garcia.

Robertson had assumed closing duties after future Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera tore his ACL. That injury occurred while he was catching fly balls in the outfield in Kansas City on May 3rd.

Robertson picked up his first save of the season against Tampa Bay on May 8th, but allowed a hit and two walks in the process. The next evening, he blew the save against the Rays, allowing four runs on three hits and a walk, raising his ERA to 2.63 on the season. He began the evening with an ERA of 0.00.

Rafael Soriano picked up the save against Tampa Bay on May 10th, the night after Robertson's ugly effort, though Soriano did allow an earned run on one hit. Soriano was called upon not because of Robertson's ineffectiveness, but merely because Robertson had pitched two days in a row and had thrown a lot of pitches.

But Soriano was called upon again on Monday night in Baltimore, even though Robertson was ostensibly fresh. Soriano would have had a perfect ninth, but Eric Chavez committed an error. Unflapped, Soriano promptly retired the next batter to end the game and seal the comeback victory.

It emerged that Robertson was unavailable due to an oblique issue, and that landed him on the DL less than 24 hours later.

It would be almost impossible to argue that Soriano is a better pitcher than Robertson, since the numbers stack up in favor of the latter. Soriano posted a 4.12 ERA last season and sports a robust 1.57 WHIP this year, with 13 K in 14 IP. By contrast, Robertson delivered an unreal 1.08 ERA with 100 K in 66.2 IP last year, and has already struck out 24 batters in 14.1 IP this season.

But as Yankees fans are swiftly finding out—after living with the greatness of Mariano in the ninth since 1997—closing the door in the ninth inning takes a special kind of pitcher. It's not necessarily your best pitcher, or the guy that strikes out the most batters, but a uniquely stoic candidate that has experience and willful amnesia.

Rafael Soriano saved 45 games for Tampa Bay in 2010, and 27 for Atlanta in 2009, while Robertson has just four career saves. While no one will mistake him for Mo, Soriano has the experience.

He also has the closer-type contract. Against the better judgment of GM Brian Cashman, the Yankees signed Soriano to a three-year, $35 million deal. Soriano then quickly lost his eighth-inning role to the flame-throwing Robertson in 2011.

But in a world without Mariano, Soriano is the best candidate to close games for the Yankees, at least for this season. Being that no pitcher on the planet could possibly fill Rivera's shoes, the Yankees would be foolhardy to ruin the confidence of a young up-and-coming reliever like Robertson.

He works like a charm in the eighth inning, and if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Let Soriano handle the ninth inning. He has the experience and he certainly has the stoic nature required to close. And if he fails spectacularly, at least he's being handsomely paid for his troubles. Better to ruin the confidence of a 32-year-old and run him out of town in 2013 than to destroy a 27-year-old who proved last year he's capable of being practically unhittable.

Robertson needs to mature as a pitcher anyway. He showed again and again last year that he was good at getting out of jams. But he had ample opportunity to demonstrate that because he was so good at getting himself into those jams. It was almost like he wanted to load the bases just so he could strike out the side.

That was something Mariano never did. Keep it boring, keep the bases empty, get the outs one-two-three, shake hands and go home. Robertson makes his appearances so thrilling that his Baseball Reference page actually lists his nickname as "Houdini."

For now, the injury to Robertson guarantees that Soriano will be closing games. Unless he blows it, he could remain the closer even once Robertson returns.

Robertson can focus on getting healthy and spend some time reflecting on the bumpy week-and-a-half he spent as the closer. There's no doubt he can get better and his brief trial by fire should motivate him to work on translating his eighth inning success to the ninth.

But as fate would have it, the ninth inning now belongs to Rafael Soriano. This is what he wanted when he came to New York and took the big money. This is his opportunity. He should sink his teeth into it and not let go—at least not until Robertson is ready to snatch it away from him.

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First, Joba Chamberlain with the dislocated ankle. Then, Mariano Rivera with the torn ACL,

Now, according to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, David Robertson will be put on the 15-day disabled list with a left oblique strain.

Cody Eppley will be recalled from Class AAA-Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in place of Robertson.

Robertson was having a great start to the 2012 season with an 0-1 record and a 2.51 ERA in 14.1 innings with 24 strikeouts.

After Rivera was shelved for the entire season, Yankees manager Joe Girardi decided to go with both Robertson and Rafael Soriano as temporary closers without giving either one the official role.

But with Robertson now on the shelf for the next couple of weeks, that leaves Soriano as the closer by default. Now, the Yankees will need to find a temporary solution for the setup role.

The Yankees can go with guys like Cory Wade or David Phelps to see if they can excel as the setup man, for now.

Or, if Brian Cashman really feels the need, he could look into a trade for a reliever.

Last year, the Yankees went through the same situation with the bullpen, with Damaso Marte, Pedro Feliciano, Soriano and Chamberlain all suffering injuries, which got Robertson the opportunity to be the setup man for Rivera.

The Yankees can only hope that Robertson's injury isn't that serious and he'll be back at full strength once he's eligible to come off the DL.

If the Yankees want any hope of making the postseason and winning another championship, they will need Robertson healthy.

It's a rough injury for the Yankees to have. Hopefully, it's only temporary and nothing serious,

Stay tuned, Yankees Universe.

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How many teams could afford to have Rafael Soriano, who saved 45 games for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2010, as their seventh-inning go-to guy?

With David Robertson in the setup role and Mariano Rivera closing, all the Yankees were hoping for were six good innings from everyone in the rotation not named CC Sabathia.

That was then—this is now. Losing Rivera to a torn ACL when he caught his spikes on the warning track shagging flies in Kansas City immediately cast a shadow over the Yankees' expectations of getting back to the World Series this season.

Exit Sandman.

David Robertson got the first shot at replacing Rivera, and he appeared to be a different pitcher than the one who had been virtually untouchable since the beginning of 2011.

Robertson earned a shaky save in his first closing opportunity, and then blew a save and the game in his second appearance.

Now, Robertson is suffering from soreness in his left ribcage, which has landed him on the 15-day disabled list, according the Yankees' official Twitter account:

RHP David Robertson placed on 15-day DL with left oblique strain; RHP Cody Eppley recalled from SWB: atmlb.com/JeP6BE

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) May 15, 2012

Now no one knows when he will be healthy enough to get another shot.

Enter Soriano.

Just a few weeks ago, we were advocating trading him because it didn't seem to make sense to pay anyone $11 million to pitch the seventh inning.

A day after that article, Rivera tore his ACL and Soriano's stock took off.

He may not be Rivera—no one is—but given the injuries and ineffectiveness that have plagued a number of closers around the majors this season, Soriano almost immediately moves to the top of the list.

We understand why manager Joe Girardi gave Robertson first crack at the job.

He earned it with his performance, and he was looking increasingly like Rivera's heir apparent.

What may have been overlooked was the fact that Soriano was signed to a three-year free-agent contract—after his career year in 2010—to become the Yankees' setup man and perhaps the successor to Rivera.

Soriano got off to a slow start in 2011 before being injured. That gave Robertson an opportunity to pitch the eighth inning, and he excelled.

A lot of baseball people, however, say that going from the setup role to closing is a big leap in responsibility and the pressure it brings.

Robertson never had that responsibility before; Soriano had been through it in 2010, when the Rays made the playoffs.

Perhaps Robertson injured his ribcage because he was trying too hard and overthrowing. 

Soriano, in contrast, is well-acquainted with closing.

He had six saves and a 1.80 ERA in the last month of the 2010 season, when the pressure was the greatest.

He did have a spotty postseason for the Rays, picking up a save in Game 4 against the Texas Rangers, but giving up runs in his two other appearances.

Nonetheless, as the Yankees' pitching problems mount with Ivan Nova's ankle injury, Soriano gives them some stability for the ninth inning.

He is 2-0 this season with a 2.57 ERA and has converted his only two save opportunities.

More importantly, he has been there and done that.

And the Yankees don't have the luxury of conducting auditions for Rivera's job right now. 

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In spite of those setbacks, the "Bronx Bombers" have managed to remain within one and a half games of the American League East Division-leading Baltimore Orioles. 

Part of the reason for their success has been the team's bullpen.  In riding superb starts to the young season by David Robertson, Cory Wade, Rafael Soriano, and Boone Logan the team has been able to weather injuries to the likes of Mariano Rivera, Brett Gardner, Michael Pineda, and Nick Swisher. 

In short, the bullpen has been the reason the New York Yankees remain in striking distance to the front-runners.

With news that Robertson has been placed on the 15-day disabled list after experiencing soreness in his rib cage/oblique area for the better part of the last three days, questions arise as to what the stint on the DL for the 27-year-old means to the rest of the relievers. 

RHP David Robertson placed on 15-day DL with left oblique strain; RHP Cody Eppley recalled from SWB: atmlb.com/JeP6BE

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) May 15, 2012

A closer look at the 'pen reveals that the team may be able to survive yet another star losing playing time to injury.

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After Reggie Jackson's suspension was lifted on July 23, Martin didn't put him in the lineup. Speaking to reporters Murray Chass and Henry Hecht, Martin explained that if Jackson didn't keep his mouth shut, he wouldn't play.

"If he doesn't shut his mouth, he won't play, and I don't care what George says. He can replace me right now if he doesn't like it," wrote Appel.

Then Martin made the now-classic statement, which is also in the book.

"The two of them (Jackson and Steinbrenner) deserve each other. One's a born liar; the other's convicted."

Appel relates that New York Yankees' publicity director Mickey Morabito met with general manager Al Rosen and Martin. Breaking into tears, Martin said, "Tell George I didn't say those things."

Martin was fired and Bob Lemon took over, but as Yogi Berra said, "It ain't over 'til it's over."

Steinbrenner did something that seemed unthinkable. He did something that only his mind could create. No one but the Yankees' owner knew what was going to happen.

On Old-Timers' Day, Steinbrenner had Martin brought to Yankee Stadium and had him hidden. Only Steinbrenner, Martin, Ron Guidry and the great Bob Sheppard knew what was going to transpire.

Sheppard, as only he could say it, announced to the 46,711 fans on July 29, “The manager for 1980, and hopefully many years to come...number one...Billy Martin.”

The crowd went wild. Steinbrenner knew it would, which was one reason that he wanted Martin to return.

A fascinating side note, as reported by Marc Carig of the Newark Star-Ledger, was that Joe DiMaggio had been upstaged. He was so offended that he threatened to stop appearing at Old Timers' events.

The players saw Martin, discovered what was going to happen and hid the past and future Yankees manager in the runway.

“All the Old-Timers were in the dugout and they were hiding Billy up in the runway somewhere,” Graig Nettles said. “The players, it caught us all by surprise. None of us knew the announcement was happening. It was just odd.”

Chris Chambliss summed it up.

“Once you’ve been around Billy and George, you know that Billy Martin was born to manage the Yankees,” Chambliss said. “It may have been a little bit of a surprise. But at the same time, when you think about it, it’s always logical.”

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Last season (.248/.341/.494 but with 39 home runs) was not one of Teixeira's best years. It was good because the power was there, but Teixeira is more than a .250 hitter.

After he failed in the clutch against the Seattle Mariners in Andy Pettitte's first start of the season on Sunday, the fans booed Teixeira vociferously. He told the media, via The Record, "I feel like I’m swinging the bat OK. I’m just not getting a lot of results and don’t have a lot of power right now."

Has Teixeira lost his intensity and possibly some of his desire?

When Teixeira joined the New York Yankees in 2009, an incident occurred that showcased the "real" Mark Teixeira.

The Yankees hosted the Texas Rangers at their new ballpark. Teixeira's old friend Vicente Padilla started for the visitors against Yankee A.J. Burnett.

In the second inning, after the Yankees had scored twice, Padilla hit Teixeira with a pitch. Then, with the Rangers leading 3-2 in the fourth inning, Padilla hit Teixeira again after the Yankees had tied the game. They scored seven runs that inning to put the game away.

Teixeira spoke to John Harper of the New York Daily News after the game:

"There's no reason for it," Teixeira said, measuring his words calmly at his locker. "If you can't get a guy out, don't hit him."

When Padilla was with the Philadelphia Phillies, he and Teixeira faced each other with Teixeira hitting two home runs off of the volatile pitcher. That's what started the bad feelings between them.

When the two were teammates with the Rangers, Teixeira got to know the right-hander. He reportedly didn't like him. What is worse, Teixeira had no respect for him, because Padilla would go after batters that hit him hard. The result was that Teixeira received the payback.

"It happened a lot," he said, via Harper. "The 3-4 guys in the lineup get hit in retaliation, so I got quite a few."

Teixeira can get angry, but he prefers to discuss issues rather than lose control of his emotions.

There is no question that he belongs to the group of players that hustles all time. Remember back in 2009 when the Yankees trailed the New York Mets in the bottom of the ninth with two outs, Derek Jeter on second base and Teixeira on first with A-Rod at the plate?

Rodriguez lifted an easy pop fly to short right field as Yankees fans let out a loud moan.

Teixeira didn't buy it . He assumed nothing and ran as hard as he could. Castillo dropped the pop-up. Teixeira scored to win the game.

It's a long season. Teixeira is smart. He hustles. He has desire. Don't stop believing.

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Understand that one blown save in two opportunities is not impressive in the wake of losing Mariano Rivera.

But Yankees fans need to give Robertson a chance.

In 85 games the past two seasons, Robertson has given up just 12 earned runs in 80.3 innings of work. In his five-year career with the Yankees, Robertson has gone 14-7 with 294 strikeouts and a 3.00 ERA. And until recently, Robertson had not given up one run in six months before blowing a save versus the Rays.

This is pretty ironclad if you ask me.

So ironclad, I can see how Joe Girardi would find confidence in Robertson to make him the closer.

Yet it seems some Yankees fans refuse to give Robertson much love at this point. Sadly, this has nothing really to do with Robertson.

It seems to Yankees fans still get the shakes these days when unable to see Rivera dart to the dusty hill to close ball games.

I get it. Nobody compares to Rivera.

But look, I am a huge fan of Rivera. I have rooted for the guy since I was a teenager. Somewhere in my old collection of baseball cards sits his 1992 Bowman rookie card.

As I Tigers fan growing up watching a team that had no pitching whatsoever, I hoped Rivera would one day give Motown a shot. Two decades later, it is indisputable I will miss the man who uses a one pitch arsenal to defeat hitters.

With that said, as difficult as this is to say, I have to say it.

It is time for Yankees fans to move on without Rivera.

I know. I know. It is a harsh thing to say. But it is true. It is time to embrace a new closer in New York.

Now, I am not sure if Robertson is the long-term solution to replace Rivera as the Yankees' closer. But fans have to give the man a chance to bounce back.

If Robertson is unable to close, Brian Cashman will have to make moves to align stars in the black and blue AL East.

Let's not forget the Yankees have Rafael Soriano. The team also has Boone Logan as an option.

However, to say the success or failure of the Yankees to make the postseason lies on Robertson’s shoulders is ridiculous.

I mean this is the New York Yankees we are talking about here!

If the Yankees could find a Moonlight Graham-like loophole that enables Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio and Mantle to return from the dead to play ball, they would do just that.

And who is to say Phil Hughes or even—yes, I will say it—Freddy Garcia will not able to transform from goats to heroes?

Not to say they will, but it points to the fact the Yankees have more options than some fans think.

The bottom line is come late September the Yankees will be right in the thick of things in the AL East.

With an extra postseason spot this season, it would not surprise me if three teams from this division make the playoffs.

And while it will be emotional for many to not see Rivera take the hill in a close game in the bottom of the ninth inning, I have full confidence leadership in the Yankees front office will make moves to get things done.

This is the Yankees way.

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Chamberlain had been on the verge of a potential comeback after going through extensive rehabilitation after Tommy John surgery.

As terrible as his ankle injury was, it appears that he is recovering quite well and more quickly than expected. The Yankees have placed Chamberlain on the 60-day disabled list, which is a good sign about his recovery.

Just seven weeks have passed since the incident occurred, and he is already walking without a boot. To protect his ankle while moving around, he currently uses a basketball ankle brace.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said, "It's definitely possible we’ll see Joba back on a mound this year, though I still think that’s pretty optimistic."

Joe Girardi seems to think that it is possible, as well.

Chamberlain believes that he will be back on the mound for the Yankees in 2012 and said, "It's going to take a lot of things to keep me from doing that. But you have to be patient and understand it's a process."

He made an appearance in the clubhouse last week before a game and played catch. He's been playing catch regularly and made 50 throws in a rehabilitation session.

The Yankees organization has no intention of rushing him and getting him back on the mound too soon. They have stated that they won't rush him and they'll give him the proper amount of time to rehabilitate and recover.

Although they don't intend to rush him, they will probably make certain that his rehabilitation program progresses along relatively quickly. The recent injury that Mariano Rivera sustained will likely keep him out all of 2012.

Phil Hughes has showed some signs of life, but he has not done well so far this season. Freddy Garcia has been a letdown. The Yankees need Chamberlain to get back on the mound.

His injury has been difficult for the entire Yankees clubhouse and organization, but some good may come from it in the end. Chamberlain has trimmed down and lost some weight, which he needed to do. Rehabilitation will get him into better overall shape.

Once Chamberlain is back and ready to pitch, he should have increased strength and stamina from all of the rehabilitation, strength and conditioning programs that he has gone through during the recovery process.

Rivera's injury is a painful loss for everyone. No one will ever take his place or fill his shoes. The Yankees will need multiple pitchers to work collectively to make up for that loss.

Chamberlain's return should have a huge effect on the success of the pitching staff. With the devastation of Rivera's injury, Chamberlain's return would be a nice boost for the morale of the pitching staff, and the team as a whole.

If his recovery continues to progress as quickly as it has been, he could be ready to take the mound by mid-July. Even with the two injuries that he has dealt with, we could see a new and improved Chamberlain take the mound and get the chance to make that comeback that he should have made in April.

Some may think that he'll be ready by mid-June, but I think that June is too early, and could potentially cause him to re-injure his ankle or his elbow.

Keep an eye on Chamberlain's progress. The Yankees need him to be back in top form, and he has a good chance to do just that.

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Ever since Mariano Rivera landed on the disabled list, MLB fans have speculated on the closer role for the New York Yankees. 

Most thought David Robertson would be ready to take the title as the closer for 2012, leaving veteran Rafael Soriano as the eighth-inning setup man.

The Yankees tried that for a few games.

Robertson got two chances to save games against the Tampa Bay Rays. In the first one, he loaded the bases before striking out Carlos Pena to end the game and get the save. In the second , Matt Joyce made him pay for putting two runners on, and Robertson surrendered a three-run home run that allowed the Rays to win 4-1 back on May 9.

After starting out at 0.00, Robertson's ERA jumped up to 2.61 as he took the loss and a blown save.

Ever since that game, Yankees manager Joe Girardi has gone with Soriano as the closer, and the results have been significantly better. Not only is Soriano 2-2 in save opportunities, he's made them relatively easy in each appearance.

Soriano's past experience as a closer might make him the better choice to be the interim closer. He dominated as an All-Star closer for the Rays in 2010, and though he struggled in his first season as the setup man for the Yankees, Soriano looks much more comfortable with a year of experience pitching in New York under his belt.

If the Yankees roll with Soriano as the closer without actually naming him as the official one, Robertson can stick to being the dominant setup man for the Yankees, where he has excelled in the past.

Girardi was smart not to dub either Robertson or Soriano as the official closer. If he decides to switch it up should one of them falter, then he's not punishing anyone by stripping away a highly publicized role.

The young Robertson knows he has a bright future pitching in the Yankees bullpen, and he still has a lot to learn. Letting him continue developing in a role with less pressure can only help his career. 

Robertson wasn't quite ready to fill Rivera's shoes, and that's fine. Honestly, will anyone ever have that ability? Both Soriano and Robertson know Rivera still holds the official title of Yankees closer until he decides to retire.

While Rivera attempts to get better for 2013, leaving Soriano as the unofficial closer and Robertson as the eighth-inning guy is the best way to go in 2012.

At least for now.

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