Yanks' Sabathia to have knee surgery

The Yankees said Sabathia has a meniscus tear in his knee and will go under the knife Friday in a procedure to be performed by Dr. Christopher Ahmad, the team's physician, MLB.com reported.

Sabathia will begin therapy immediately after the operation and resume his normal preparations for spring training in about three to six weeks.

Sabathia, who was nearly unhittable in the 2009 post-season when New York took its 27th World Series title, was largely ineffective in this year's playoffs. The lefty yielded 10 earned runs and 22 hits over 16 innings in three starts.

MLB.com reported it isn't clear how long the knee has been bothering Sabathia. Usually quite strong at the end of the year, Sabathia this season was hit hard in a pair of September starts.

Sabathia finished the year with a 21-7 record and a 3.57 ERA.

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