Phil Hughes is being primed for the rotation - Joba for the pen

Phil Hughes, the hard-throwing Yankees right hander was as dominant Friday night as he's ever been coming out of the bullpen, striking out six of the nine batters he faced and holding the Tigers scoreless over the seventh and eighth innings of the Yankees' 5-3 victory at the Stadium.

"I just tried to be aggressive and make quality pitches," said Hughes, who touched 97 mph on the radar gun. "It's nice to be in the game when it matters and counts, I guess I've found a comfort zone out there."

Hughes went about 40 pitches this outing. Here’s my take, I think Girardi has a plan. Over the next 3 outings Hughes will work his way up to 90 pitches (about an increase of 15 each time) and then Hughes will get a spot in the rotation and Joba Chamberlin will be moved to the pen. It won't be long before Hughes will be the big-name pitcher on the NY Yankees, and he'll be a fixture for years to come.

In his last 15 2/3 innings, Hughes has given up 0 ER, 8 Hits, only 3 BB and had 19 K’s. That is dominance.

Hughes has nothing left to prove in the minors. He's mow had a taste of being a starter in the majors, he's gotten the time to watch and learn while in the bull pen and he's gotten quality innings in some pressure situations. Those weren't 15 2/3 mop-up innings he pitched, he's ready. It's his time.

Before Friday night's game, Girardi announced that 28-year-old right hander Sergio Mitre would be called up from Triple-A to make a start against the Orioles on Tuesday, filling the void left by an injured Chien-Ming Wang. It will be Mitre's first outing in the big leagues since Sept. 15, 2007, when he lasted 4-2/3 innings for the Marlins. I think this is a temporary move for 2-3 weeks until you see Hughes in the rotation for good.

Now is your chance to pick up one of the very best pitching prospects in all of baseball. If you wait until he’s named a starter, it will be too late. - Mike Gross

Michael Gross, in conjunction with a prominent sports agency runs a strength, conditioning and agility program that many agents send their “to-be-drafted” athletes, prior to being drafted. Many pro athletes have also used the facilities for rehabilitation after injury. Over 90 professional athletes including current MLB ball players have attended his institution during the past 3 years.