Phil Hughes to the DL

     Yankees starter Phil Hughes has been placed on the disabled list, but not for a reason you might think. According to Yankees manager Joe Girardi, Hughes is going through a "dead-arm period." "We don't feel that he's hurt," Girardi said of the decision. Hughes' velocity on his fastball is down an average of 3 mph from last season, according to FanGraphs.com. This season, Hughes has tallied an ERA of 13.94, giving up more homeruns than strikeouts. Bartolo Colon, who has pitched fairly well so far this season, will most likely replace Hughes in the rotation. As a fantasy owner of Hughes, all I think when I hear this information is RED FLAG, RED FLAG, RED FLAG! If Hughes can't find his arm, the Yankees have plenty of depth to replace him. On top of Colon, the Yankees also have Carlos Silva and Kevin Millwood waiting in the minors. AJ Burnett is off to a great start this season, meaning Hughes may not be relied upon as much as he was last year when Burnett struggled. Hughes is still young and will look to make a comeback when his arm strength returns. There's no guarantee, however, that Hughes will keep his spot in the rotation and total 18 wins like he did last season. Hughes' trade value is down significantly, but see if you can make an offer for someone like Bronson Arroyo who will give you a solid win total and a respectable ERA.