On Wednesday, the New York Yankees placed reliever Joba Chamberlain on the disabled list with a flexor strain. The news came as a surprise, since Chamberlain didn't seem to be showing any symptoms of an injury, but we were told he was going to rest for 10-14 days before being re-evaluated.

Now, on Thursday, the news is even worse. I'll let Ben Shpigel give you the limited but grisly details:

Torn ligament for joba.

Girardi isn't sure, but thinks tommy john surgery for joba

Joba passed his strength tests, but an exam on his elbow revealed the tear, apparently to his UCL. We don't know anything about the severity of the tear, but if Joe Girardi thinks that Tommy John surgery is a possibility, that suggests the tear is near-complete, if not entirely complete.

So we'll see where this goes. If Joba does have ligament replacement surgery, he'll be done for 2011 and much of 2012. If he doesn't, he is still looking at a lengthy rehab that will keep him away from the Yankees for a good chunk of the season, if he returns at all. Sometimes attempting to rehab a torn ligament is just delaying the inevitable.

That untouchable bullpen the Yankees thought they'd put together over the offseason suddenly looks more vulnerable than ever.