AL East

The Yankee left-hander has started 40 postseason games in his Major League career. In those games, Andy Pettitte is 18-9 with a 3.90 ERA. He also has five World Series rings.

How could a pitcher with that résumé feel a responsibility to a minor league team?

Well, it’s simple. Andy Pettitte needed to pitch a rehab assignment. The Yankees' Double-A affiliate, Trenton Thunder, is in the playoffs.

The Yankees are back in action tonight as they take on a possible playoff opponent in the Texas Rangers.

Here are some notes:

The Yankees DFA’d LHP Wilkin De La Rosa in order to make room on the 40-man roster for LHP Steve Garrison, whom they claimed off of waivers from the San Diego Padres,

Via the NY Post:

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman is not ready to reveal the Yankees' playoff pitching scene just yet. 

Cashman said that everyone besides CC Sabathia and Mariano Rivera is going to have to earn a role on the postseason roster.

Theoretically, rookie Ivan Nova could earn a spot over A.J. Burnett or Javier Vazquez.

After winning seven of 10 games in the Bronx, the New York Yankees start a nine-game road trip with a weekend series against the AL West-leading Texas Rangers.

Could this be a possible ALDS preview?

Yes, if the Yankees get through the last 22 regular season games, which is not as easy as it sounds.

For the first time in years, the Baltimore Orioles are playing a new role in the American League East: the spoiler. 

Now, as a team that was hoping to win 80 games this year, being the spoiler for other teams’ playoff hopes is still a disappointment no matter how you want to word it.

However, the fact that the O’s have been competitive against the likes of the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays is a very positive thing for a team that was beyond terrible for most of this season.

Right-handed pitcher Matt Fox has been claimed by the Boston Red Sox, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune's Joe Christensen. The Minnesota Twin farmhand was designated for assignment this past Sunday, only two days following a successful MLB debut against the Texas Rangers.

Originally drafted with the 35th overall pick in 2004, Fox has has spent more than six years in the minors and owns a career 3.64 ERA and 1.27 WHIP, according to TheBaseballCube.com.

The New York Yankees announced yesterday that right-handed Phil Hughes will be skipped in his next turn in the rotation.

His command has been observably terrible over his last several outings, as he's allowed 11 earned runs, six walks, and 13 hits in 9.2 innings pitched in his last two starts against Toronto (Aug. 25, Sept. 5), while against Oakland he allowed only two runs but still walked five batters in only five innings pitched on Aug. 31.

There seems to be quite a bit of panic since the Yankees made the announcement yesterday that Jorge Posada was suffering from concussion symptoms.