#Masahiro Tanaka sharp in return but Yankees offer hint of caution
“#Masahiro Tanaka sharp in return but Yankees offer hint of caution”
Yet, Boone hinted Tanaka might not be ready to pitch in the first trip through the rotation when the 60-game season is scheduled to open next Thursday.
“I probably would be a little bit surprised if it was the first rotation through,’’ Boone said of Tanaka, who threw 30 pitches in the pen workout. “And then again, it is seeing how his next bullpen goes, seeing how facing live hitters go and what is the best decision for us and Masa as far as do we want to build him up entirely at the big-league level or do we want him to continue to build up and get to a point where he is built up more like a starter? Those will be conversations that we have internally and with Masa, for that matter. We will see where we are in the next few days, especially after he faces hitters for the first time.’’
Blake was impressed with Tanaka’s performance.
“Higher intensity than we initially expected coming in, which was really encouraging. He was right around 88 to 91 [mph]. It was good to see him step on it and show all his pitches. Very crisp first bullpen, so I am really happy where he is at,’’ Blake said of Tanaka, who will repeat the bullpen session Sunday and likely face hitters early next week.
Blake is also impressed with the way Tanaka has rebounded from the frightening scenario.
“I think he has been really good about how he has processed it all. He spent some time talking to Chad Bohling, our mental skills guy, just to make sure they are going through the necessary steps in terms of how he is processing that moment and what it means going forward,’’ Blake said. “Kind of the necessary steps to get himself to compete at a high level again without a lot of hesitation about getting back on the mound. He has been very firm about, he feels OK with what happened and he understands the risks associated with pitching.’’
Aaron Judge was on the field hitting before the Yankees worked out at and took batting practice during the workout one night after returning to the lineup and homering in an intrasquad game.
“Everything looks good with Aaron,’’ Boone said of the right fielder, who had been dealing with a stiff neck since being scratched from an intrasquad game Saturday.
Gerrit Cole will make his final start Friday night before his scheduled Opening Day assignment.
“We will probably keep him similar. I think he threw 85 [pitches] the last time. We will probably keep him around there,’’ Boone said. “He pushed pretty hard the last time on a pretty hot day. We will keep him there with the idea he would obviously go on the sixth day.’’
Beginning with Friday night’s intrasquad game at the Stadium, Boone figures his club has four exhibition games remaining instead of two against the Mets this weekend and one versus the Phillies on Monday.
“In my mind I am counting [Friday] like a game. Friday we got eight innings to play. I am looking at these next four games, pretty much all of our guys will play in three of those games and probably push them pretty far into the game,’’ Boone said. “I feel like they are ready to do that and so that’s been nice.’’
Hal Steinbrenner dropped by the Yankees’ first-base dugout to visit with GM Brian Cashman on Thursday and watch veteran lefty J.A. Happ and highly touted pitching prospect Clarke Schmidt face live hitters Thursday.
Among the hitters Happ faced were Judge, Miguel Andujar and Gio Urshela. Schmidt, the Yankees’ top pitching prospect, threw to Stanton, Mike Tauchman and Andujar.
Add Tauchman to the list of Yankees who aren’t in love with putting a runner on second base to start an extra inning, even if he has a chance to be employed in that circumstance. This past week Boone used Tauchman to start innings on second base to prepare the pitchers and hitters for such a the situation.
“I am not a huge fan of it,’’ Tauchman said of the rule that has been used in the minor leagues and is in play this shortened major league season to keep games from going deep into extra innings. “I understand why it is being done but I understand why pitchers don’t like having to deal with a runner that they didn’t create.’’
Yankees reliever Tommy Kahnle believes the fake crowd noise and music that will be pumped into a fan-less Yankee Stadium when the regular season starts will be a positive.
“Personally, I think it will,’’ Kahnle said when asked if it the noise will help players. “Some kind of noise, even when you are playing, it gives you a big adrenaline boost. I think it will give a better situation than just being out there with no sound, you could hear people talking. It is a good idea to do that but I did see a video today and it looked like the noise was a little too loud but I am sure they are just kind of working with it right now.’’
Kahnle is aware that without fans in the seats and TV microphones throughout ballparks players will have to be careful what they say on the field and in the dugouts.
“They can pump in the crowd noise but I don’t think it is going to be the same effect it would be if you had fans in there,’’ said Kahnle, who predicted he will let something slip. “I am still going to obviously let major F-bombs go. That is just who I am. I know a lot of guys, we get really passionate on the mound.’’
The Yankees reassigned the following players to the spring training alternate site: RHP Domingo Acevedo, RHP Daniel Alvarez, RHP Luis Gil, C Max McDowell, RHP Luis Medina, RHP Adonis Rosa and RHP Alexander Vizcaino.
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