After two weeks of uncertainty, CC Sabathia is no longer stuck in limbo.
The Yankees left-hander is on track to start Wednesday when New York hosts the Orioles after a persistent knee problem forced him to the sideline.
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"I didn't know what to think before going to see the doctor," Sabathia said Sunday, via MLB.com. "I thought, 'Maybe the season's over, who knows what's going to happen?'"
Sabathia was placed on the 15-day disabled list Aug. 24 with right knee inflammation. He exited his start the day before with pain in the same knee on which he had surgery in 2014. He had told the Yankees he would be open to transitioning to a role in the bullpen should the team want to move in that direction.
"I've been testing it pretty good in the bullpens," Sabathia said of his knee. "Even playing catch on the side, I was letting it go. I was confident that I wouldn't feel anything and I would be ready to go."
The 35-year-old veteran wore a brace on his right knee Friday as he threw 62 pitches in a simulated game at Yankee Stadium and claimed he felt "great" and "excited" after tossing four innings. With the Yankees 1.5 games back of the Jays, Sabathia's return couldn't come at a more critical time.
Sabathia is 4-9 with a 5.27 ERA in 24 starts this season, though he was productive in his three previous outings before he removed himself from his last start. He is 18-7 in 32 career starts against the Orioles.