Yanks hope Sabathia ready for spring

— -- NEW YORK --  CC Sabathia will have surgery on his right knee, which will end his 2014 season.

Sabathia will have arthroscopic debridement surgery next week, which the team hopes will allow him to return to the mound by next year's spring training.

"Hopefully, next year will be a different story," Yankees GM Brian Cashman said.

Sabathia, 33, avoids microfracture surgery on the knee, which could possibly be career-ending. If the initial surgery does not work, then a microfracture procedure could be in play.

"It doesn't mean that is off the table," Cashman said.

Sabathia has struggled the past two years. This season, he was 3-4 with a 4.29 ERA. His combined record over the last two seasons is 17-17 with a 4.87 ERA.

In Sabathia's first four years with the Yankees, he averaged a 17-8 record with a 3.22 ERA. Overall, in his 14-year career, Sabathia is 208-119 with a 3.63 ERA.

"He tried the rehab side of it and obviously that didn't work," Cashman said. "If he had three different options, that was the least. Now, we are on the middle side of this thing, the clean up of the knee and hopefully that is good enough."

Sabathia's surgery will be performed by the Los Angeles Dodgers' team doctor, Neal ElAttrache.

The Yankees have lost four-fifths of their Opening Day rotation. Ivan Nova is out for the year after Tommy John surgery. The Yankees are hopeful that Masahiro Tanaka and Michael Pineda can return in August. Cashman reiterated that adding starting pitching is his biggest goal as the trade deadline approaches in less than two weeks.