NEW YORK -- CC Sabathia has admitted to being "hard-headed" about the bulky brace that was suggested to protect his right knee, but after the veteran Yankees left-hander enjoyed a run of success while wearing it late last season, he now expects it to be a companion through the remainder of his career.
"I'm definitely going to wear it off the mound," Sabathia said. "I'll probably do it sometime in the middle of January and see how it feels."
There is no denying that the wear and tear of 2,988 2/3 innings over 15 big league seasons has caught up with the 35-year-old Sabathia, who has been told that he is pitching with bone-on-bone arthritis in a knee that eventually will require replacement surgery.