As summer gets underway, Yankees pitching coach Larry Rothschild is expecting that team ace CC Sabathia will take off and get on one of his rolls.

"I don't think he's really hit his stride yet and he's still pitched well," Rothschild said at a HOPE Week event on Monday in the Bronx. "I think when he does, he'll go on a little run and really get things going."

He added: "I think as summer comes around, you'll really see him get going again."

While Sabathia has won nine games this year, his numbers are worse than his usual career marks. His ERA of 3.45 would be his highest as a Yankee and worst since 2005, while his WHIP of 1.271 is his highest mark since 2004. The lefty is also allowing nine hits per nine innings, which would set a new career-worst if it holds up.

Rothschild expressed no concern about Sabathia or his tendency this year to allow lots of base runners, believing that it will even itself out over the course of the season.

"Obviously you'd like to get him through a game where he limits base runners and has a nice clean game to get through, but I think that comes in time," Rothschild said. "I think you'll see it happen."

Before Sabathia beat Atlanta two starts ago, Rothschild said that the lefty had found a mechanical flaw during a video session and was working on correcting it. The pitching coach said the lefty is continuing to work on fixing that flaw and said it all usually comes around to work out for Sabathia, who is tied for the team lead in wins.

In evaluating Sabathia's outing against the Mets, when he gave up five runs in 5 2/3 innings, Rothschild said the lefty fell behind batters too often.

"A lot of the balls that were hits weren't squared up too well. It happens occasionally. He's going to have a game now and then when he doesn't get us through the seventh inning, which is rare, but he's human like anyone else," Rothschild said. "Had some of the balls not found a hole, he probably would have gotten us through the seventh or eighth."