During Ian O’Connor’s interview Sunday with Yankees GM Brian Cashman on ESPN New York 98.7 FM, Cashman said that Michael Pineda’s surgically-repaired shoulder will not be good to go until June or the “second half of next year.”

June would be on course with the Yankees' original projections, while July or later would represent a delay in when Pineda may actually contribute. At one point, Pineda said, in an interview with WFAN, he would be ready for spring training. That always seemed like wishful thinking.

On the phone today, Cashman declined to rule Pineda out as a possible contributor in 2013.

However, it seems unlikely he can be counted on in a significant way, and you have to wonder how much Pineda will be able to help the Yankees plan for 2014, when their $189M budget mandate is scheduled to kick in. A labrum tear is not an easy injury to return from and Pineda will have to overcome some serious odds to look good enough to crack next year’s rotation by midseason.

With Manny Banuelos out for the year and Dellin Betances ineffective, the Yankees’ plan to use young, cheap, talented pitching by ’14 has taken a serious blow.