Jon Lieber will open the season on the disabled list as a result of a groin strain sustained in late February. Lieber underwent Tommy John surgery in August of 2002, and he appeared on track to be ready to serve as the Yankees' fifth starter prior to the groin strain, which halted his throwing program. He rested for a week after the initial injury before working up to participating in a game on March 13th. However, he felt pain prior to and after that appearance, leading the Yankees to shut him down for two weeks. He's continued throwing off flat ground during this rest period in order to try to maintain his arm strength, but he's not throwing off a mound.

New York would like to resolve this matter before they require a fifth starter on April 10th, but the Yankees aren't going to rush Lieber back since that could cause him to miss even more time. Provided he doesn't suffer another setback, I think the 33-year-old will be able to meet the target date. His April starts may be a little short, but as long as he takes the time to let this heal now, I don't think the groin be a big issue for him in 2004. However, this interruption has prevented us from evaluating his post-surgery form.