Michael Pineda injury update: Yankees pitcher might not return until mid-2013

When the New York Yankees acquired Michael Pineda, they envisioned him as a young, controllable starting pitcher that could headline the front of their rotation for years to come. After suffering a torn labrum and undergoing surgery, his estimated timetable to begin pitching again was early 2013. That may not be the case though, according to general manager Brian Cashman.

Here is ESPN New York with the latest:

During Ian O'Connor's interview Sunday with Yankees GM Brian Cashman on ESPN New York 98.7 FM, Cashman said that Michael Pineda's surgically-repaired shoulder will not be good to go until June or the "second half of next year."

Shoulder surgeries are never easy for a pitcher to overcome. Unlike elbow surgeries, which are a near guarantee in this day and age of baseball, shoulder issues can ruin a player's career. For a young hurler such as Pineda, the Yankees cannot help but worry whenever Cashman talks of him not returning until the second half of the 2013 season.

For a team that once had a plan to lower their spending costs by 2014, these latest developments out of New York are not good news.