TAMPA – Corey Kluber kicked off his first live baptism practice of the spring on Sunday at the Yankees minor league complex, with Gary Sanchez behind the plate and Aaron Boone sounding pleased with what he saw.
The manager described the exit as “good”.
“Obviously, there was a lot of talk about it,” Boone said of Kluber’s arrival in a $ 11 million one-year deal after throwing just one entry in the last two seasons due to a fracture of forearm in 2019 and a shoulder injury last year.
“He came in here after throwing live and it ‘s been even more exhausting than [Sunday] era. It was nice to take Gary with him on a live stage. Another good step forward in the process for him. “
Kluber’s right arm health is key to a rotation that aims to support Gerrit Cole after losing Masahiro Tanaka, James Paxton and JA Happ as a free agent during the offseason.
Aroldis Chapman introduced a quick split-finger ball last year, but used the playing field in moderation. Expect to see more this season.
“I think it’s definitely a tone for me,” Chapman said through a performer. “I think I’ve incorporated that tone into my pitch mix.”
He expects to use the divider more than he has the change, throwing “just a couple of times here and there.”
“I definitely feel great,” Chapman said of the divider. “[It’s] definitely a weapon that will be used in the future ”.
Austin Wells was recruited by the Yankees last June and never got to play a game because of the pandemic, so he tries his best to be on the field early.
“I’ve been out of distance training for over a year,” Wells said. “Any bat-bat against any pitcher I have is beneficial to me.”
Wells is just one of the minor leagues he lost to a developmental season when the minor leagues closed last year.
Reese said the development of playerless games has been “interesting.”
“It’s been a challenge,” Reese said. “It simply came to our notice then. Throw away the game plan for a year and adjust as you go. ”
The Yankees chose not to have a league of instructions last fall, and Reese said the organization decided there was too much risk associated with the increase in COVID cases in Florida and that the Yankees did not have their own hotel to accommodate players safely.
Miguel Andujar is not the only player to appear on the field this week in hopes of proving that he can add value in more than one position.
Boone also mentioned newly signed Jay Bruce and Derek Dietrich, as well as Andrew Velazquez, the Fordham Prep product that also has a minor league deal.
Dietrich can play second and third baseman, Bruce first and Velazquez short and all can be used in corner positions.
“I feel like we have guys with pretty good defensive versatility and flexibility,” Boone said.
– Additional reports by Ken Davidoff