TAMPA – Corey Kluber threw his first live batting 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 called the outing ‘good’.
“Obviously, there has been a lot of talk about it,” Boone said of Kluber’s arrival after a $ 11 million one-year deal after throwing just one inning in the past two seasons due to a broken forearm in 2019 and a shoulder injury last year.
“He came in here thrown alive and was even heavier than [Sunday] used to be. It was good to have Gary with him live. Another good step forward in the process for him. “
The health of Kluber’s right arm is key to a rotation that Gerrit Cole wants to support after losing Masahiro Tanaka, James Paxton and JA Happ to free agency during the off-season.
Aroldis Chapman unveiled a split-fingered fastball last year, but he used the field sparingly. Expect to see more of it this season.
“I believe it is definitely a pitch for me,” Chapman said through an interpreter. “I feel like I have incorporated that pitch into my pitch mix.”
He expects to use the splitter more often than his replacement, which he throws “just a few times here and there”.
“I feel absolutely great about it,” Chapman said of the splitter.[It’s] definitely a weapon that will be used in the future. “
Austin Wells was called up by the Yankees last June and has never played a game due to the pandemic, so he tries to take full advantage of being in camp early.
“I’ve been out with distance training for over a year,” said Wells. “Every at bat against every pitcher I get is good for me.”
Wells is just one of the minor leaguers to have lost as much as a season of development when the minor leagues closed last year.
Reese said developing players without games is “interesting.”
“It’s been challenging,” said Reese. ‘It has been difficult. You throw away the game plan for a year and adjust it immediately. “
The Yankees opted not to hold an instructional competition last fall, with Reese saying the organization decided there was too much risk related to COVID cases emerging in Florida at the time and the Yankees did not have a hotel of their own to safely house players.
Miguel Andujar isn’t the only position player to join the camp this week in hopes of proving he can offer value on more than one position.
Boone also cited recently 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 base, Bruce first and Velazquez short, and they can all be used in corner outfield positions.
“I feel like we have some guys with some pretty good defensive versatility and flexibility,” Boone said.
– Additional reporting by Ken Davidoff