when he surrendered eight earned runs in just one inning. In his third start, against the Cleveland Indians in New York on April 18, Wang was credited for eight more earned runs in 1.1 innings; Cleveland won the game 22–4. After his first three appearances, Wang was 0–3 with a whopping 34.50 ERA. There was speculation that the right foot injury Wang sustained during the 2008 season caused him to compensate with the rest of his pitching motion, leading to his 2009 struggles. Following the April 18 game manager Joe Girardi said, "We have some time. We have a day off, I think Thursday, and we're going to have to decide what's best for Chien-Ming Wang and the team." On April 22, General Manager Brian Cashman, at a Q&A at Southern Connecticut State University, confirmed Wang's release point was five inches higher than the same time the previous season. After being removed from the rotation and sent down to Tampa to work out mechanical issues, Wang was diagnosed with weakness in the muscles of both hips and placed on the disabled list. He was activated from the disabled list on May 22, 2009, and on his first day on the active roster, he was brought in from the bullpen. After two more relief appearances, Wang went back to the rotation, but he struggled once again in his first and second starts back. On June 28, Wang earned his first win of the season, also his first since June 15, 2008, giving up two runs over 5.1 innings against the New York Mets. Wang was placed on the disabled list on July 15, 2009, due to shoulder soreness. He was then eliminated for the remainder of the season after undergoing shoulder surgery on July 30, 2009. After the Yankees won the 2009 World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies, Wang participated in the championship parade through the Canyon of Heroes, but acknowledged it "would have been more fun" if he had been healthy. On December 12, 2009, the Yankees made the choice not to re-sign him, making him a free agent. Washington Nationals 2010–2012 On February 19, 2010, the Washington Nationals announced they had signed Wang as a free agent to a $2 million deal (plus up to $3 million in incentives). In June, it was thought that Wang would return to the majors in late July or early August. However, Wang's