CC Sabathia to return next week for Yankees

CC Sabathia plans on returning to the Yankees next week. (Rich Schultz/Getty Images)

New York Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia said he will return to the mound next week after being put on the 15-day disabled list with soreness in his right elbow, according to Wallace Matthews of ESPNNewYork.com:

"August 24," he said. "That's the day I'm pitching." The Yankees ace didn't say "maybe," or "hopefully" or "if all goes well."

If all goes according to plan, Sabathia will make his return against the Cleveland Indians on August 24. The soonest he is eligible to return is August 23. The pain is coming from the muscles in the back of his elbow, and he believes there's no ligament damage.

The minor injury is something he said everyone has to pitch through and if it were up to him, he wouldn't be sitting out right now:

"This was not my decision," he said. "I definitely argued. I thought I stated a pretty good case. It was a long conversation, and after the game they just told me they made a decision."