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SARASOTA, Fla. – “I’m in a good spot,’’ Will Warren said a few times Thursday night, describing his overall feel late in spring training.
On a windy night at Ed Smith Stadium, Warren yielded four runs in 3.2 innings – with homers by the Orioles’ Ryan O’Hearn and Adley Rutschman – in a 9-7 Yankees’ exhibition win.
At this point, Warren seems assured of a place in a Yankees’ rotation missing Gerrit Cole and Luis Gil to injury, and with Clarke Schmidt uncertain of starting the season on time.
Earlier Thursday at Tampa, Schmidt threw two simulated innings to live batters – including Paul Goldschmidt (back soreness), expected to return to the Yanks’ exhibition lineup Friday.
Schmidt threw 32 pitches (his scheduled allotment) and appeared fine, though “it’s possible’’ the right-hander could begin on the injured list, according to Aaron Boone.
“We haven’t made that final decision,’’ said the manager, but the team is committed to doing what is “best over the long haul’’ for Schmidt, who began spring training with back soreness.
Schmidt was also coming off a season in which he lost three months due to a lat strain, and yet – even with Cole’s elbow nerve irritation in the first half – the 2024 Yankees used just eight starters.
That’s because Carlos Rodon, Marcus Stroman, Nestor Cortes (now with the Milwaukee Brewers) and Gil each made between 29-32 starts, getting the Yanks off to a fast AL East lead.
Already, the Yankees’ depth is tested to the point that non-roster veteran Carlos Carrasco, who turns 38 on Friday, is at least a placeholder Schmidt, who might not be built-up enough to make his 2025 debut on April 3 – the season’s sixth game – as originally planned.
Beyond Carrasco and Warren you’ll find Allan Winans and Brent Headrick on the depth chart – this for a club that began spring training wondering what to do with Stroman, the No. 6 starter.
Warren, 25, the Yankees’ eighth-round draft pick in 2021, said he arrived in camp with “probably a chip on my shoulder’’ due to his rough six MLB games (five starts) in 2024.
“I know I’m better than what I did last season,’’ said Warren, who went 0-3 with a 10.32 ERA in 22.2 innings.
“I had a chance to reflect in the offseason,’’ said Warren. “Just learning from the experience, that’s helped me out all spring.’’
Warren arrived at camp with a better secondary stuff, especially a changeup that he can use in any count, even against right-handed hitters.
“I’m liking where it is,’’ said Warren, adding that he felt “better’’ than what his pitching line indicated Thursday against the O’s, including seven hits, two walks and three strikeouts.
“They squared some balls against him,’’ said Boone. “I also thought he pitched pretty well, too.
“Thought he did some good things in and around some contact,’’ but in pressing his pitch count up to 75, there was “a lot to take away from and a lot to learn from.’’
Alex Verdugo’s lengthy free agency ended with a $1.5 million deal with the Atlanta Braves, two which Boone said: “The Braves got a really good player for not a lot of money.’’
After a good start to his one and only season with the Yankees last year, Verdugo non-production at the plate briefly opened the door for Jasson Dominguez, but the lefty-hitter and plus-defender regained his regular status through the World Series.
While Verdugo’s offense is inconsistent, the absence of his Gold Glove-caliber left field defense is noticeable on the Yankees, with Dominguez still learning the position.
The switch-hitting Dominguez has come around with the bat in camp, with an .804 OPS and three homers in 54 exhibition at-bats.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. homered, doubled and drove in five runs Thursday, and – like Chisholm Jr. – Anthony Volpe also hit his third homer in Grapefruit League play.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Yankees' pitching depth already tested, putting Will Warren in the spotlight
Continue reading...
On a windy night at Ed Smith Stadium, Warren yielded four runs in 3.2 innings – with homers by the Orioles’ Ryan O’Hearn and Adley Rutschman – in a 9-7 Yankees’ exhibition win.
At this point, Warren seems assured of a place in a Yankees’ rotation missing Gerrit Cole and Luis Gil to injury, and with Clarke Schmidt uncertain of starting the season on time.
Earlier Thursday at Tampa, Schmidt threw two simulated innings to live batters – including Paul Goldschmidt (back soreness), expected to return to the Yanks’ exhibition lineup Friday.
Schmidt threw 32 pitches (his scheduled allotment) and appeared fine, though “it’s possible’’ the right-hander could begin on the injured list, according to Aaron Boone.
“We haven’t made that final decision,’’ said the manager, but the team is committed to doing what is “best over the long haul’’ for Schmidt, who began spring training with back soreness.
Schmidt was also coming off a season in which he lost three months due to a lat strain, and yet – even with Cole’s elbow nerve irritation in the first half – the 2024 Yankees used just eight starters.
That’s because Carlos Rodon, Marcus Stroman, Nestor Cortes (now with the Milwaukee Brewers) and Gil each made between 29-32 starts, getting the Yanks off to a fast AL East lead.
Already, the Yankees’ depth is tested to the point that non-roster veteran Carlos Carrasco, who turns 38 on Friday, is at least a placeholder Schmidt, who might not be built-up enough to make his 2025 debut on April 3 – the season’s sixth game – as originally planned.
Beyond Carrasco and Warren you’ll find Allan Winans and Brent Headrick on the depth chart – this for a club that began spring training wondering what to do with Stroman, the No. 6 starter.
Warren, 25, the Yankees’ eighth-round draft pick in 2021, said he arrived in camp with “probably a chip on my shoulder’’ due to his rough six MLB games (five starts) in 2024.
“I know I’m better than what I did last season,’’ said Warren, who went 0-3 with a 10.32 ERA in 22.2 innings.
“I had a chance to reflect in the offseason,’’ said Warren. “Just learning from the experience, that’s helped me out all spring.’’
Warren arrived at camp with a better secondary stuff, especially a changeup that he can use in any count, even against right-handed hitters.
“I’m liking where it is,’’ said Warren, adding that he felt “better’’ than what his pitching line indicated Thursday against the O’s, including seven hits, two walks and three strikeouts.
“They squared some balls against him,’’ said Boone. “I also thought he pitched pretty well, too.
“Thought he did some good things in and around some contact,’’ but in pressing his pitch count up to 75, there was “a lot to take away from and a lot to learn from.’’
Yankees' manager Aaron Boone on Alex Verdugo landing with Atlanta
Alex Verdugo’s lengthy free agency ended with a $1.5 million deal with the Atlanta Braves, two which Boone said: “The Braves got a really good player for not a lot of money.’’
After a good start to his one and only season with the Yankees last year, Verdugo non-production at the plate briefly opened the door for Jasson Dominguez, but the lefty-hitter and plus-defender regained his regular status through the World Series.
While Verdugo’s offense is inconsistent, the absence of his Gold Glove-caliber left field defense is noticeable on the Yankees, with Dominguez still learning the position.
The switch-hitting Dominguez has come around with the bat in camp, with an .804 OPS and three homers in 54 exhibition at-bats.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. homered, doubled and drove in five runs Thursday, and – like Chisholm Jr. – Anthony Volpe also hit his third homer in Grapefruit League play.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Yankees' pitching depth already tested, putting Will Warren in the spotlight
Continue reading...
