Results tagged ‘ Michael Pineda ’
Thursday’s camp notes: Youk “always a Red Sock”
It’s probably not the best way to endear yourself to a new fan base, but hey, let’s at least give Kevin Youkilis some points for honesty.
The new Yankee and former Red Sox third baseman briefly stopped by George M. Steinbrenner this afternoon to check out his locker assignment and drop off a few items, spotting his No. 36 jersey hanging alongside a few pairs of pinstriped pants.
This is the new reality for Youkilis, who is clean-shaven to satisfy team regulations and sounded like a Yankee when he said that he’s just here to “go out there every day and play hard and try to win a World Series.”
Oh, but nothing in the fine print of his one-year, $12 million deal with the Yankees mandated that he must put his Red Sox history through the shredder, and so Youkilis made it clear that part of him will always belong in Boston.
“To negate all the years I played for the Boston Red Sox and all the tradition, you look at all the stuff I have piled up at my house and to say I’d just throw it out the window — it’s not true,” Youkilis said. “I’ll always be a Red Sock.”
That quote won’t win Youkilis many friends among a fan base that, judging by early Internet reaction, seems to be unconvinced about his addition. But here’s what might win them over: if Youkilis is healthy and productive for New York, the same blue-collar qualities that made Youkilis such a frustrating opponent over the years are exactly what Yankees fans have been asking for.
Think about it — how many times have we heard the talk-radio rants that the Yankees need more players with Paul O’Neill’s brand of intensity, the unbridled fury it takes to assault a bat rack or water cooler without a second thought about the millions watching at home? Youkilis can be that guy. In other words…
“I’ll never be Alex Rodriguez,” Youkilis said. “I mean, Alex Rodriguez is one of the best hitters of all-time. I’m not going to be that same guy. But I can be a good Major League player who can help the team win, and that’s all you’ve got to do.”
Here’s some more of Thursday’s notes and quotes from Tampa:
- Newly acquired right-hander Shawn Kelley is expected to join the team shortly after being traded by the Mariners on Wednesday evening. Kelley is a power arm with a plus slider and figures to compete with Cody Eppley for a bullpen role. He has a Minor League option remaining, so he could also start the year at Triple-A.
- Don’t leave the lights on for Alex Rodriguez here in Tampa; Brian Cashman said that A-Rod will not join the Yankees at any time this spring. He’s supposed to arrive in New York tomorrow from Miami to continue his rehab, so it sounds like the earliest anyone might see him around the ballpark is April 1 against the Red Sox.
- As we discussed earlier on the blog, Michael Pineda has progressed to throwing full mound sessions and the Yankees are optimistic that he could be helping at the big league level in late May or June. A lot can happen between now and then, and setbacks are an expected part of the process, but he’s on track so far. Pineda will start throwing to hitters in March, but isn’t expected to pitch in any Spring Training games.
- Dellin Betances took a step backward last season, but the Yankees haven’t given up hope on the hulking right-hander, hoping that a good showing in the Arizona Fall League can right his ship. Cashman said that the power, physicality and stuff are all there for Betances. One glaring problem has been fastball command, which is why Betances found himself demoted to Double-A Trenton last year.
- Ivan Nova said he doesn’t know why his strikeout rate jumped to 8.1 per nine innings last season after he posted 5.3 strikeouts per nine innings in 2011. He said he was just trying to pitch his game, not worrying about strikeouts. The number that still bothered Nova was his 5.02 ERA; the Yankees have scored him plenty of runs, but that’s too many to ask.
- Funny note from Girardi, who was recounting the uncomfortable moment he had to tell Nova that they were leaving him off the playoff rosters last year: “It’s not like he flipped my desk over or I felt threatened, but I could see the disappointment. I have a pretty big desk.”
Pineda drops 20 pounds, could help Yanks in June
There’s a little bit less of Michael Pineda in Yankees camp this spring. He said that he weighed in at 260 pounds, down from 280 a year ago, and that his rehab is going well.
“Everything is doing well. Everything has been good,” Pineda said. “I’m feeling very excited, I’m feeling good. My shoulder is stronger right now.”
Pineda just started throwing off a full mound and is not expected to pitch in a game this spring, but he’ll start facing hitters next month under controlled conditions. The best case scenario that the Yankees are tossing out is that Pineda could be a realistic big league option in June.
“He’s had no setbacks, he’s worked hard and it’s a very serious surgery he’s coming back from,” Yankees GM Brian Cashman told reporters. “No guarantees, but so far we’re cautiously optimistic.”
Pineda said that he is confident that he will be able to return as the same power pitcher he was with the Mariners and regrets showing up out of shape for his first spring as a Yankee.
“I won’t make this mistake anymore,” he said.
Spring is here: Yankees pitchers and catchers report
George M. Steinbrenner Field is open for business, and while we’re still waiting to hear the first official crack of the bat, these words should be enough to warm your afternoon wherever you are — Yankees pitchers and catchers reported to Tampa today.
CC Sabathia meets the media in the Yankees dugout on Tuesday.
The players went through the usual gauntlet of physical tests and checked out their locker assignments – with 84 names on the invited list, the Yankees have had to build a few new ones in the clubhouse – before heading out for the day. The real work begins tomorrow, with the first official workout for pitchers and catchers.
“Everybody talked about the guys that we didn’t sign, but talk about the guys we have coming back,” Yankees ace CC Sabathia said. “Hiro (Hiroki Kuroda) coming back, Andy (Pettitte) coming back, we’ll get Mo (Mariano Rivera) back for a full year. I think we already had the pieces here in place to compete and try to win a championship. We’ll just go with what we’ve got.”
Yankees manager Joe Girardi held his first press conference of the spring, and the big news was again about Alex Rodriguez, as Girardi revealed that A-Rod will not be reporting to camp with the Yankees’ position players.
Instead, Rodriguez will be continuing his rehab in New York, which should limit some of the potential distractions that were expected to go along with MLB’s investigation of the Biogenesis case.
Girardi said that he believes the Yankees “could win 95 games and get to the World Series,” and said that “if other clubs want to think we’re vulnerable, that’s OK, but I love the character in that room and the way they find ways to win games.”
Want video? You got it.
Here are some of the other quick hits from Girardi’s session with the press:
- Girardi is not concerned about the health of Derek Jeter or Mariano Rivera. He is, however, curious how the Yankees will find their designated hitter against right-handed pitching. Eduardo Nunez, Matt Diaz and Juan Rivera appear to be the early options.
- Girardi called the spring “a test” for Francisco Cervelli, who must block out the distraction of the Biogenesis investigation while also competing for the Opening Day catcher job.
- Austin Romine should be able to help the Yankees at some point during the season, Girardi said, but he doesn’t know exactly when. Romine said that he intends to make the roster out of Spring Training, but the Yankees have him ticketed for Triple-A right now.
- Girardi said Cervelli, Stewart and Romine should be able to be as good as Russell Martin was defensively.
- Michael Pineda is throwing in camp, but Girardi said he doesn’t expect to see him in a game this spring. The Yankees have been saying that Pineda’s best case scenario is to pitch in the big leagues by May or June.
- Girardi said he’s not worried about his lame duck status as the Yankees’ manager, saying that he’s only concerned with the next 162 games and getting to the World Series. The Yankees will likely hold off until after the season to open contract talks with Girardi.
Yankees pitching coach Larry Rothschild talks Mo, Pineda, CC, Kuroda, Pettitte
Yankees pitching coach Larry Rothschild appeared on the MLB Network Radio channel on SiriusXM on Friday, joining hosts Jim Duquette and Jeff Joyce. Here are some highlights:
On Michael Pineda:
Host/Jeff Joyce: “What is his status and is he a guy you are expecting or hopeful that will be healthy for you this season?”
Larry Rothschild: “With elbows it is a lot more predictable and you can expect. With shoulders, really, I think you take him off the radar screen, bring him back as the injury allows. But I don’t think we can count on him for next year at all. And hopefully he comes back and it’s a great addition but if you count on him and think he’s going to be back by a certain point you have a pretty high percentage of being disappointed with that. So I think you’re better off just approaching it that he’s not going to be back next year. And if things go right – and he certainly could come back and be able to pitch, I wouldn’t doubt that at all – but for us to count on him, I think, would be a mistake.”
On Mariano Rivera:
Rothschild: “At the very end of the season I didn’t even think about it. I thought for sure he’s coming back because of the rehab he’s done and everything he’s done leading up right until the very end of the season. Really, when I got home I heard that now there’s talk that he may not come back and may retire. But I don’t know. I would bet anything that he’s coming back. But I have not talked to him. I’ve kind of left him on his own because I think it’s a decision he has to make. I will probably talk to him in the next week or 10 days or so. But there are no parameters. Cash will handle that part of it as far as when he’s going to come back, when the decision is made if he’s not, and we’ll go from there.”
On CC Sabathia:
Joyce: “Has there been talk about lightening the load a little bit during the regular season based on the load that he’s taken on over the last five, six, seven years?”
Rothschild: “Yeah, Joe and I talked about it even going back to last year. This year we talked about it even more. Not only lightening the load but the pitch total during the game because he’s a guy that almost thrives on working the pitch totals and when he doesn’t have them it has an effect leading into the next start. Unlike a lot of guys where if they get a little more rest they’re more effective, he works more and throws more pitches he seems to get on rolls a lot quicker. And what happened, I think, part of this year is he didn’t do it. We didn’t let him get to that point. And then with the groin at one point and the elbow at the other we just never got to that point until towards the end and then he got on another roll when he did throw the pitches. So it’s kind of a Catch-22 with him. We do have to watch it and we’re going to probably have to watch a few guys on this staff. We’re aware of it and back off. When he had a chance to pitch with extra rest we did that. In the past he would pitch on the fifth day almost all the time.”
On Hiroki Kuroda:
Host/Jim Duquette: “Do you think there’s a high percentage chance he comes back to you guys?”
Rothschild: “I think there’s a high percentage chance that if he plays in the States he plays with the Yankees. I think he enjoyed the experience. I think his decision, to some degree, is going to be: Is this the year for him to go back to Japan? He feels like he has a debt to the team in Japan that he played for, that he would like to pitch, I think, another year for them before he retires. Whenever that comes about I think when he thinks he’s ready to do that that’s what he’s going to do. And if he’s not then I think we have a good chance to re-sign him and he’ll play for us or, you know, possibly the Dodgers. I don’t know. But I know he enjoyed New York and I think if he’s going to play in the States we’re going to have a pretty good shot at bringing him back.”
On Andy Pettitte:
Duquette: “Do you think he wants to come back to the Yanks?”
Rothschild: “Yeah, I do. But I think it’s a decision that when you get home, at the end of the year I would have told you, ‘Yes, absolutely.’ And now I think he still will but, you know, you just don’t know at this time of year. I think it is his decision again and he’ll sit down with the family and I think the family is pretty much on board with it so, yeah, I think the fires are still there. It was a freak thing, getting hit with the ball and the fracture of the bone this year. Can he hold up for 36 starts? I’m more comfortable thinking a little bit less than that. … I think effectively, if we’re smart about it, he’s going to be more effective with a few less starts than trying to push it through to 32 or 35, whatever it might be, and keep him fresher as long as we can.”
Cashman: Pineda was “fully healthy” at time of trade
Yankees GM Brian Cashman:
“In no way do I believe, or do the New York Yankees believe, that the Seattle Mariners had any knowledge of any issues here with Michael Pineda prior to the trade or anything of that nature. He was a fully healthy player we acquired. We had full access to his medicals, which were clean.
“We had the opportunity to do a full physical exam, which we did, which came out clean. Michael has never had a shoulder issue nor has he complained of one with the Mariners, nor has he ever had any tests on the shoulder with the Mariners. This is just an unfortunate circumstance that can happen. It happened.”
Pineda set for season-ending surgery Tuesday
Yankees right-hander Michael Pineda has been diagnosed with an anterior labral tear of his right shoulder and is scheduled to undergo season-ending arthroscopic surgery on Tuesday.
Pineda will have a labral repair procedure performed at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. Dr. David Altchek will perform the procedure, assisted by Yankees team physician Dr. Christopher Ahmad.
Yankees GM Brian Cashman said Pineda is expected to miss a full calendar year. He could be back on a big league mound in May 2013.
Cashman said that in no way does he believe the Yankees received damaged goods from the Mariners, calling Pineda a “fully healthy” player at the time of the January trade.
Yankees waiting on Pineda results
When will we see Michael Pineda pitching again?
The Michael Pineda saga has taken a strange turn, as the right-hander will be sent for a second opinion from Dr. David Altchek tomorrow in New York.
Pineda did have a dye contrast MRI today at the direction of Yankees team physician Dr. Christopher Ahmad, and the team is not ready to reveal those results. Presumably, Ahmad and Altchek will confer before an official announcement is made.
Joe Girardi said that Pineda’s agent oddly asked for a second opinion from Altchek, the Mets team physician, even before Ahmad gave the first opinion.
It seems fair to mention that none of this necessarily adds up to great news, whatever the diagnosis may be. Girardi said that the situation is “disappointing” and that the Yankees are proceeding as though they won’t have Pineda for a sizable amount of time.
“It’s not what you want,” Girardi said. “We thought we were going to get a power pitcher that pitched very well and we believed had a very huge upside. Right now, we don’t have him, and right now I can’t tell you when we’re going to get him back.”
Pineda suffers setback; to see doctor Monday
The Yankees received discouraging news from Tampa, as right-hander Michael Pineda felt discomfort behind his right shoulder and had to cut his Extended Spring Training outing short after just 15 pitches.
Pineda will see a physician on Monday in Tampa, and Yankees manager Joe Girardi said there is no timetable for Pineda’s return.
“I can’t tell you when we’re going to get him now,” Girardi said.
Pineda excited to be with Yankees
Michael Pineda was at his house in the Dominican Republic when his phone rang. It was Brian Cashman on the other end of the line, telling the right-hander that he was now a member of the New York Yankees.
Pineda grinned as he recalled the moment, saying how excited his mother and father were. Not to take anything away from his time with the Mariners, but Pineda was thrilled too. The Yankees name carries weight, and Pineda said he couldn’t wait to report for Spring Training in Tampa. He hasn’t been disappointed.
“Right now, I like everything,” Pineda said. “I’m excited to be here with this team. It’s pretty good here, so I like it.”
Pineda throws a bullpen this morning, working with Francisco Cervelli. Here is the full list of pitchers-catchers workouts on tap:
Early BP: Manny Banuelos (Jose Gil), Cesar Cabral (Gary Sanchez), D.J. Mitchell (Kyle Higashioka), Dellin Betances (J.R. Murphy).
Group 1: Phil Hughes (Gustavo Molina), Ivan Nova (Gil), Pineda (Cervelli), CC Sabathia (Russell Martin), Rafael Soriano (Austin Romine).
Group 2: Freddy Garcia (Sanchez), Hiroki Kuroda (Martin), Boone Logan (Romine), David Robertson (Murphy), Cory Wade (Kyle Higashioka).
Tex likes Yankees’ trade for Pineda
Mark Teixeira offered a positive review for the Yankees’ big move of the offseason, saying that Michael Pineda could have a great impact on the club’s rotation for years to come.
Jesus Montero, dealt to the Mariners in last month’s four-player deal, might well turn into an elite big league hitter, but Teixeira said that the gamble seems to be worth it.
“Montero might be really, really good. He’s got a chance to be special, but so does Pineda,” Teixeira said last night at the Thurman Munson awards dinner in midtown. “I think that’s what we’re banking on; Pineda being a top tier starter and somebody that can be a force for a long, long time.”
Teixeira and the Yankees faced Pineda just once last season, on May 27 in Seattle. Teixeira went 2-for-4 against the right-hander, including a first-inning solo home run.
“[Pineda has an] electric fastball, really good slider,” Teixeira recalled. “He’s so big. Any pitcher that is that big, that can throw that hard, his margin of error is going to be a lot bigger than everyone else’s. He can go out there and not even his best stuff. When you’re 6-foot-7 and throw 97 (mph), you’re going to get outs.”
Teixeira did seem to suggest that the Yankees could use one more bat to complete their offseason shopping. If the season started today, New York’s DH would likely be Andruw Jones, with some consideration given to Minor League slugger Jorge Vazquez and the rest of the at-bats rotating between players like Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter.
“We basically have the lineup we had last year,” Teixeira said. “Rotating a DH wouldn’t be bad, but if you could pick up a guy that could come in and give you some pop off the bench or be a DH every now and then, we’re not going to say no to that. We can use all the help we can get.”
Bryan Hoch
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