New York Yankees News Roundup: A-Rod, Colon, Gardner and Gooden

Alex Rodriguez left Saturday's game with a stiff back and oblique, and doesn't know whether he'll play in Sunday night's contest against the Rangers.

• Bartolo Colon was, of course, promoted to the rotation when Phil Hughes went to the DL. He'll likely make his first start on Wednesday in Toronto. His last major league start was in July of 2009.

• Hitting-coach Kevin Long found a major flaw in Brett Gardner's swing -

He is not trying to lift the ball at all, it has more to do with what he is not doing with the lower half... He isn't using the lower half. And he is looking at pitches and expanding the zone more than usual. He has been feeling for his swing.

Hopefully they figure it out.

• Elsewhere, the Yankees traded Manny Banuelos, Joba Chamberlain, Gary Sanchez and Eduardo Nunez for Felix Hernandez and Chone Figgins.*

• Dwight Gooden was sentenced to five years probation after a DUI arrest last March. He was allegedly high on cocaine and had his five-year old son in the car (not wearing a seat belt).

• Mark Prior was promoted all the way from High-A Tampa to Triple-A Scranton. With all the recent injuries to the Yankees' pitching staff (Luis Ayala, Phil Hughes, Pedro Feliciano), we may see Prior earlier than we ever expected.

• Attendees of Saturday's miserable day-game will get a free ticket offer that can be used for any available 2011 game (other than Old Timers' Day and Mets and Red Sox affairs).

• Jesus Montero and Slade Heathcott made BA's Prospect Hot Sheet for the week. Ramon Flores, a 19-year-old at Low-A Charleston, made the Helium Watch and is a name to keep an eye on. He has a .168 IsoD in nine game so far.

• This is what a curveball looks like to a hitter.

* Not intended to be a factual statement.