SARASOTA, Fla. — All five candidates for the final two spots in the Yankees’ rotation have worked two innings each and provided no signs manager Joe Girardi won’t have to wait until the final week of spring training before making a decision.
Right-hander Chad Green was the final hurler to throw Monday against the Orioles at Ed Smith Field, and he matched Adam Warren, Bryan Mitchell, Luis Severino and Luis Cessa.
In two innings, Green allowed the group’s first hit and second walk.
The quintet has hurled 10 innings without allowing a run while fanning six.
“The first time through everyone has been good and that’s what you want to see,’’ Girardi said. “Hopefully their off-speed [pitches] will become sharper and they will get through lineups where they will have to face them twice to get a better evaluation of them using all their pitches. The first time through they all did their job.’’
Warren and Severino have been vocal about their desire to start, although each has tasted success in the bullpen. Green’s preference is also to start, but a spot in the pen wouldn’t be awful for the 25-year-old right-hander who last season appeared in 12 games (eight starts) and went 2-4 with a 4.73 ERA.
“I wouldn’t say pressure. Those guys are pitching well, but I am just trying to focus on myself,’’ Green said. “Get ready for the season and whatever happens, happens. I am ready to do whatever they want me to. I threw out of the bullpen last year so I don’t mind it, obviously I want to start, that’s my goal. I will be glad to do what they want me to do.’’
Green started throwing a cutter in the middle of last season while with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (Triple-A) and worked on developing it more this winter.
“I am getting more comfortable with it,’’ Green said. “It was a new pitch for me last year. Throwing it all offseason made me more comfortable with it.’’
Masahiro Tanaka will make his first start of the spring Tuesday and unlike some of his teammates, doesn’t figure to have much of an adjustment following the departure of Brian McCann, who was traded to Houston in the offseason.
Tanaka had significantly better numbers with Gary Sanchez and Austin Romine behind the plate than with McCann.
“I’m on the same page as Sanchez and Romine from last season,” Tanaka said through a translator.
In 15 starts pitching to McCann last season, Tanaka had a 4.17 ERA, while he had a 1.94 ERA in seven starts with Sanchez catching and a 2.16 ERA in nine outings with Romine.
“More than anything, I want to get my mechanics and the feel of the ball right when I’m actually in game action,” Tanaka said. “I feel good.”
CC Sabathia threw a two-inning simulated game Monday at GMS Field. He is scheduled for one more simulated session before pitching in a big league exhibition game for the first time. The Yankees are taking it slowly with the veteran lefty because he had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee following last season.
Minor league infielder Thairo Estrada hit a three-run homer in the top of the ninth that lifted the Yankees to a 4-1 win over the Orioles.
Clint Frazier hustled a leadoff single into a double to start a three-run rally in the ninth inning. Frazier has three hits in five spring at-bats.
Hyun Soo Kim lost Aaron Judge’s fly ball in the sun leading off the fourth inning that went for a triple. That isn’t unusual in the Florida sun, but Kim had his sunglasses perched on top of his hat instead of covering his eyes.
Judge went toward the foul line in right field, gloved Kim’s grounder and threw out Kim trying to stretch a single into a double for the final out of the second inning with a one-hop throw to shortstop Jorge Mateo.
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