Is there any reason other than the amount of money he makes that right-hander A.J. Burnett is still a member of the New York Yankees starting rotation? Reality is, probably not.
With Ivan Nova 10-4 and pitching so well he has forced the Yankees to keep him on the 25-man roster, Phil Hughes was used in relief on Sunday, meaning Burnett stays in the rotation despite not having come close to earning his $16.5 million annual salary the past two seasons.
Burnett is 8-9 with a 4.54 ERA and has not won since June 29. He has gone 0-3 with a 6.00 ERA in his last six starts. He was 10-15 with a career-worst 5.26 ERA a season ago.
Burnett gets another opportunity Tuesday night when the Yankees host the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the opener of a three-game series.
Dan Haren (12-6, 2.81 ERA) pitches for the Angels.
Current Series
3 game series vs Angels @ Yankee Stadium
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Los Angeles Angels Tuesday, Aug 9, 2011, 7:05 PM EDT Dan Haren vs A.J. Burnett Partly cloudy,rain. Winds blowing in from right field at 5-10 m.p.h. Game time temperature around 80.
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| Wed 08/10 | 7:05 PM EDT | |
| Thu 08/11 | 1:05 PM EDT | |
