ANAHEIM -- On another team, in another time, Ian Kennedy perhaps might still be here. But the Yankees are in a pennant race, and they can't afford a single growing pain. So they took action late Sunday morning, optioning Kennedy back to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and recalling reliever Billy Traber. In doing so, the Yankees hope Kennedy can rediscover his previous success and return to help them come September. "We're obviously in a pennant race, but he wants me back in September," Kennedy said of Yankees manager Joe Girardi. "He wants me to be part of the reason why we're in that pennant race. That would be nice." Instead of focusing on results in Scranton, Kennedy said he would work on throwing more two-seam fastballs and offspeed pitches, in the hopes of making them more consistent features of his repertoire. So don't expect a run of success akin to his most recent four Triple-A starts, when Kennedy posted a 3-0 record with a 1.33 ERA. "Having those four starts helped," Kennedy said. "I won't lie to you, it got me back here." Banking on similar success in the Majors, the Yankees recalled Kennedy on Friday night to take the rotation spot of the injured Joba Chamberlain. But he lasted only two-plus innings in that game, allowing nine hits and five runs to the Angels. The next day, Kennedy took heat for postgame comments in which he said he was "just not real upset" about his performance. And Kennedy is confident that he solved that problem, too. After talks with Girardi and veteran teammate Andy Pettitte, Kennedy said he's beginning to understand how to better express himself to the media. "I was very disappointed in myself," Kennedy said. "Obviously, I always want to do well. I had seven innings to think about it, and I want to help the team win. I hate losing. I really, really hate losing. But I wasn't going to let it ruin what I'd done in the recent past." Girardi waited to tell Kennedy the news until just prior to Sunday's game, so that he would give maximum effort in his bullpen session, according to a team official. He's on track to start Wednesday for Scranton, and though the Yankees have yet to name their own starter for Wednesday, logic points to long man Darrell Rasner, who relieved Kennedy on Friday. By bringing in Traber, 28, the Yankees also were able to add another left-hander to their bullpen. Traber spent two previous stints with the Yankees this season, compiling a 6.00 ERA in 12 innings. A former first-round Draft pick by the Mets, Traber had posted a 3.38 ERA in 37 appearances with Scranton. "We thought we could use some help in the bullpen," Girardi said. "We've had to use our bullpen a lot. He's another left-hander, and that gives us some more options." http://tinyurl.com/58r77g --

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