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Yankees send out yet another rookie on Saturday

Sep 1, 2007 - 2:08 PM Tampa Bay (55-80) at NY Yankees (75-60) 1:05 pm EDT

BRONX, New York (Ticker) - The New York Yankees have mixed-and-matched their rotation all season long. On Saturday, yet another young pitcher will throw his hat in the ring when Ian Kennedy makes his major league debut against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Kennedy (NR) will become the eighth different rookie to start a game - and the fifth one to make his major league debut - for the Yankees this season, tying a 100-year-old franchise record.

The 2006 first-round pick appears to be New York's first choice to replace the demoted Mike Mussina, who was skipped a start due to a 0-3 record with a 17.69 ERA in his last three outings.

The 22-year-old righthander has pitched at three minor league levels in the Yankee organization this campaign, compiling a 12-3 record with a 1.91 ERA. He has also recorded 163 strikeouts over 146 1/3 innings.

His opposition will be Edwin Jackson (4-12, 5.51 ERA), who posted his first two-win month as a major leaguer when he went 2-1 with a 2.45 ERA in five starts in August. In his last start on Monday, he surrendered four runs and nine hits over six-plus innings in a 5-4 loss to the Chicago White Sox.

The righthander has pitched well in both of his two starts against New York this season, going 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA. Including four relief appearances over his five-year major league career, he is 1-0 with a 3.63 ERA lifetime vs. the Yankees.

Despite a 9-1 loss in Friday's opener, New York remained one game ahead of Seattle (73-60) in the American League wild card after the Mariners lost at the Toronto Blue Jays. The Yankees continue to trail the Boston Red Sox (80-55) by five games in the AL East.