DETROIT — The first sign of just how much of a leash the Yankees will give C. C. Sabathia — hint: it may be as short as Manager Joe Girardi’s closely cropped hair — arrived on Saturday in the fifth inning of his first start of the season.
That was when, with a six-run lead, a thin bullpen and their hitters pummeling Tigers pitching, the phone rang in the Yankees’ bullpen and Kirby Yates began to warm up.
Perhaps the activity inspired Sabathia, who settled down to make it into the seventh inning of the Yankees’ 8-4 victory, but it also underscored the level of confidence the Yankees have in their former ace, whose place in the rotation was not ensured until several days before the season.