Colon was coming off a 2010 season that he missed due to ongoing right shoulder and elbow pain while also damaging his rotator cuff, ligaments and tendons in his right throwing shoulder. In March of 2010 Colon received the stem cell transplant to help repair the damaged tissues in his shoulder which came attached to a slew of controversy. The surgeon who performed the surgery was said to have used human growth hormone in previous surgeries, surgeries similar to Colon’s but denied the fact that any were used in Colon’s surgery. Major League Baseball held an investigation but no wrongdoing was found by the league and Colon was allowed to pitch in 2011.
Colon signed a minor league deal with the Yankees on January 26, 2011 after pitching in the Pre_World Championship in Puerto Rico, winter ball with the Aguilas and Leones del Escoquido, and the Puerto Rican winter league. Colon was invited to spring training that year and despite coming into camp 30 lbs. overweight Colon made the team out of the bullpen. Colon was not long for the bullpen and by April, 20 he was replacing Phil Hughes in the rotation through the month of May. Colon went 3-3 with a 3.26 ERA replacing Hughes and stuck in the team’s rotation long enough to throw a 4-hit shutout against the Oakland Athletics. The Yankees and Colon were firing on all cylinders until June, 11 when Colon, who was throwing a shutout against the Cleveland Indians, was seen limping off the field after covering first base. Colon went on the disabled list but vowed to be back in 15 days.
Colon was a man of his word as he came off the disabled list on July 2 to make a start against the New York Mets where he threw six more shutout innings for New York. Colon finished his only season with the Yankees with an 8-10 record and 4.00 ERA. Colon was named to the team’s playoff roster as a member of the bullpen before the team lost to the Detroit Tigers in the 2011 ALDS, thus ending Colon’s tenure as a New York Yankees.
