The New York Yankees are in the thick of the AL East Division title race with the Toronto Blue Jays. The Blue Jays are currently leading the Yankees by only half a game in the standing, as posted by MLB.com.

The concern for the Yankees is starting pitcher CC Sabathia, who has been pulled out in the third inning against the Indians on Aug. 23. As per ESPN, The Yankees lost the game at 4-3, with Sabathia pitching 2.2 innings with a strikeout, allowing four hits, two earned runs and walking four.

He left the game with an apparent knee injury. The left-hander's MRI revealed nothing. General manager Brian Cashman called it "a bad knee" and Sabathia might go in the disabled list according to the New York Post.

"It's high, just because it happened again. Just being out there, not being able to get through it. Normally I'm able to push through it, but today I couldn't," Sabathia said when asked about the level of pain via a separate New York Post report.

Sabathia had two knee surgeries in the past. The latest was more than a year ago for a degenerative condition that required maintenance throughout the season. That knee had already been drained twice this season. "The thing is, there's no fluid. There's nothing to drain. It's just kind of a sharp pain. That's the toughest thing there is. You just kind of wait and rest and see what happens," Sabathia said regarding his knee problem.

ESPN reveals that the Yankees lost the series against the Indians, winning only one out of four. With Sabathia injured, manager Joe Girardi said that he will have a six-man rotation to give an extra rest day to starters Masahiro Tanaka and Ivan Nova.

Meanwhile, the Blue Jays have swept their series against the Angels. They have scored 36 runs in three games, showing their power and potent lineup, which features Jose Bautista, Troy Tulowitzki, Josh Donaldson and Edwin Encarnacion, per another ESPN report.

Toronto leads all MLB teams in the number of runs scored, total bases and RBIs. They are also second in home runs. The Jays are still hot after their trade deadline deals, acquiring Tulowitzki and David Price.

As for the Yankees lineup, many players are in a slump like Alex Rodriguez and Didi Gregorious. The playoffs are only five weeks away and the Yankees' problem is not the Blue Jays but also the Orioles and Rays, who are right behind them in the wild-card spot.

ESPN shows that the Yankees' schedule does not get any easier as they will face the Blue Jays, Orioles and Rays six more times each. If CC Sabathia will be out for the rest of the season and the bats don't come to life, the Yankees will miss the playoffs for the third straight year.

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