CC Sabathia discusses Yankees’ offseason, health concerns

The Yankees have had an eventful offseason to date. In addition to making a number of roster moves, the team also had to deal with a few unexpected injuries. CC Sabathia experienced this roller coaster himself, as the southpaw not only inked a contract with the Yankees, but also suffered a major health scare not long after. He discussed as much with Ryan Ruocco on the latest episode of the R2C2 podcast.

As far as his heart is concerned, Sabathia gave a quick rundown to start the show:

“I feel great. Had the heart scare obviously early in December, but had the procedure, put the stent in. It’s crazy because I was feeling so bad, I thought I had the acid reflux. I was walking around with f*cking Pepto-Bismol bottles and Tums just thinking it was that. For it to be my heart was scary. But having a procedure, and you know, getting out of the hospital, I feel like a brand new person. So for like three weeks I wasn’t sleeping, I couldn’t eat, like. it was bad, So now I feel great, so it’s good.”

He also revealed the gravity of his condition. “It wasn’t scary until after. Talking to the doctor and him telling me that it was the widowmaker artery and 90% blockage,” Sabathia explained, “It was crazy.” The good news, however, is that CC will be ready for the season and is all clear to pitch.

Sabathia also talked about the Yankees’ offseason and the Manny Machado sweepstakes, urging fans to take a deep breath. “The team is pretty f*cking good,” he said. “If we can get Manny that would be awesome, awesome, I mean I would love to have him in our lineup and in our clubhouse and around. But it is what it is. I hope he signs. If not, then we’ll keep going.”

The veteran left-hander also revealed some of the behind-the-scenes aspects of Machado’s meeting at Yankee Stadium. He talked about how he just popped in to say hello and be a familiar face. When asked about the the Johnny Hustle comments, CC brushed it off. “It’s not a worry for me,” Sabathia said. “He’s fine. It is what it is. [Robinson] Cano did the same thing, he just didn’t tell you.”

The pair go on to discuss a variety of other topics, and the whole podcast is worth a listen. It’s especially great to hear that CC is healthy and ready to pitch. That’s the most important part.