It’s the first day of Spring Training and there are certain things Yankee fans can expect: Reports about who is fat and who is skinny, uniform numbers, which new players are getting which former players’ lockers, and A-Rod.

The weight update is about CC Sabathia who told reporters he’s down to 290 lb. and that he cut Cap’n Crunch from his diet, again, just like he did in previous off-seasons. He also told reporters that his surgically cleaned-up elbow is feeling good which is positive news.

This next section of text (about numbers, lockers and Austin Romine) is mostly taken from a post I wrote earlier this morning on It’s About The Money, Stupid. I know I’m probably breaking cardinal rule of writing but I’m lazy and I apologize for plagurizing myself.

Now, as you are well aware, Yankee uniform numbers are very serious business and that certain numbers are treasured by fans. So prepare yourselves for the following news. Maybe grab a seat or take a deep breath…

Oh, I’m joking, it’s not that important but since we’re lacking any serious news – for now – I figured I’d let everyone know what’s happening down in Tampa.

This information is from Mark Feinsand of the Daily News and his tweets:

• Travis Hafner takes over Nick Swisher‘s spring locker as well as his uniform No. 33.
• With Rafael Soriano gone, Francisco Cervelli reclaims his No. 29.
• David Phelps has changed his number to 35. He reminds me of a young Mussina, so it makes sense.
• Michael Pineda, formerly No. 35, will now wear 43.
• More uni numbers: David Aardsma 34, Matt Diaz 22, Dan Johnson 27, Juan Rivera 54.

I know, I forgot that the Yankees had some of these guys too.

And for some locker news, again from Mr. Feinsand:

• Correction: Kevin Youkilis is in Swisher’s corner locker. Hafner is next to him in Eric Chavez‘s old spot.

Also, Austin Romine who will be battling Chris Stewart and Francicsco Cervelli for the starting catching job, let everyone know that his back is feeling “absolutely fantastic,” and that he would like to win that starting catching job and avoid going back down to Triple A.

And last but certainly not least, some news about A-Rod. Alex Rodriguez is not in camp because he’s rehabbing from his hip surgery in New York. Manager Joe Girardi said the most important thing is to get him healthy. Of course, there are rumblings that Alex isn’t in Florida so he isn’t a distraction to the team. I’m one of those weirdos who thinks he just had hip surgery and is recovering so he doesn’t really need to be in camp and that the people complaining about him not being there will have to find someone else to write horrible stories about.

Ahem.

Happy Fat Tuesday, everyone! Except for CC Sabathia who isn’t fat anymore, well, for now…

From Dr. Bryan Kelly’s website

So I woke up this morning and did what I always do: I picked up my phone and checked Twitter. I know, it’s an addiction and I can’t help myself.

Anyway, I woke a little later than usual and the first thing I saw was “A-Rod”, “hip”, “surgery” and then I screamed out an expletive as I sat up. Don’t worry the only living creature who heard me was my cat Henry who was disturbed out of a nice long slumber by the sudden movement of my feet.

Once I drank some coffee and got the full story, I screamed out more expletives because I thought back to the playoffs and all of the stuff that Rodriguez went through, like his being blamed for the entire team not hitting and became angry all over again on his behalf.

Alex Rodriguez took so much crap from everybody: the fans, the media, etc. And he was never nasty, he just stood there, answered questions and he supported his teammates in the dugout when he couldn’t play.

So the story is that he has a tear in the other hip, not the right one that was surgically repaired in 2009 and that this injury is a little worse and therefore the recovery time is longer.

Great…

The news shook me up so badly I ended up passing out for a few hours. After I woke up from my nap, hoping that the morning was just an awful dream, I caught up on some stuff.

Apparently, a press conference was held and Yankees GM Brian Cashman answered some questions. He said that Rodriguez thought something was off and told manager Joe Girardi as much during the infamous “Ibanez pinch hits for A-Rod” game against Baltimore. So they quietly, without telling the media, had Rodriguez’s right hip checked out during the playoffs and nothing was found. It was clean. Of course, they didn’t think to check his other hip because it wasn’t bothering him – I believe the word you’re looking for is asymptomatic.

Then in a routine checkup by the hip doctor in Colorado revealed a labrum tear in the other hip along with some tendon irritation. They’re also saying because the severity in his left hip is a little more – due to the added bonus of the tendon irritation – than the injury he had in the other hip, it could be a 4-6 month recovery and that Rodriguez won’t have the surgery until January because he needs 4-6 weeks of “prehab” to strengthen his hip.

Oy vey.

This means that best case scenario, the earliest we’ll see A-Rod playing is May and worst case could be as late as July.

In a year when the Yankees weren’t losing their starting catcher and starting right fielder to free agency, this wouldn’t be that big of a deal but now with the Yankees on this payroll reduction plan, the timing of this injury couldn’t be any worse.

Someone wake me up in April. I’m going to hibernate because I can’t handle anymore bad news.