Sabathia to make 2019 debut Saturday

Yankees left-hander CC Sabathia is scheduled to make his season debut Saturday, starting against the White Sox in New York, manager Aaron Boone said.

Sabathia’s season was delayed by heart and knee issues; he underwent an angioplasty procedure on Dec. 11 and also had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee for a third consecutive year in October. He made a Minor League rehab start Sunday for Class A Advanced Tampa, allowing one run on one hit over 4 2/3 innings against Lakeland.

In February, Sabathia, 38, announced his upcoming 19th Major League season would be his last. The former Cy Young Award winner is entering his 11th year with the Yankees, with whom he signed a one-year, $8 million deal in the offseason.

Sabathia’s return comes at a good time for the Yankees, who announced Tuesday that Luis Severino would be shut down from throwing for six weeks with a Grade 2 lat strain, a separate issue from the rotator cuff inflammation that’s delayed his 2019 debut.

Sabathia went 9-7 with a 3.65 ERA in 29 starts (153 innings) with New York in 2018.