With Andy Pettitte on target to return from the disabled list next Sunday in Baltimore, a team official told ESPNNewYork.com that the Yankees plan to use Thursday's off day to skip Vazquez's next turn.
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CC Sabathia will start in Tampa on Monday. He will be followed by rookie Ivan Nova and Phil Hughes. A.J. Burnett will start Friday in Baltimore. On Saturday, Sabathia will go again, followed by Pettitte, who will return Sunday against the Orioles. Pettitte still needs to get through his final minor league rehab start in Altooona on Tuesday.
When the specifics of the Yankees' plan were laid out to Yankees manager Joe Girardi, he declined to confirm it.
"It could line up that way," Girardi said. "Like I said, I'll announce it when I have it."
Girardi prefers to wait to announce such moves in case Pettitte has trouble on Tuesday or another injury changes the team's plans.
Girardi did confirm that Vazquez will be available out of the bullpen on Monday. He did not throw a full side session on Sunday, which is his normal routine after starting on Friday. Vazquez said the Yankees have not yet told him he is out of the rotation.
"I would love to find out, but I'll find out eventually," Vazquez said.
This would be the third occasion on which the Yankees have skipped Vazquez. Vazquez has returned to the rotation each time, but this may be it. If there were an injury to one of the aforementioned five starters, it is unclear whether Vazquez or Dustin Moseley -- who pitched well in Sunday's loss to the Rangers -- would earn the next start.
Vazquez has shuttled in and out of the rotation all year, which he admits is largely because he is only 10-9 with a 5.09 ERA.
"If I were throwing lights-out, it wouldn't be a question," Vazquez said.
Andrew Marchand covers baseball for ESPNNewYork.com.
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