Spring Training Game Thread: Tanaka’s Second Start

The Spring Training of our dreams continues this afternoon with a home game against the Pirates. The pitchers all look pretty good, the young position players are hitting the snot out of the ball, and the Yankees are winning. They lead all teams in wins, runs (by 12), homers (by four), and extra-base hits (by eight) this spring. Wins and runs in February and March don’t mean anything, but it sure has been a blast to watch.

Staff ace Masahiro Tanaka is making his first televised start and second overall start of the spring today. By all accounts he looked very good first time out. Today we’ll be able to lay our eyes on him. Also, Gleyber Torres is playing second base today. He spent a tiny little bit of time there last season as the Yankees look to increase their top prospect’s versatility. Here’s the lineup the Pirates send over from Bradenton, and here are the players the Yankees will use:

1. LF Brett Gardner
2. CF Jacoby Ellsbury
3. DH Matt Holliday
4. 1B Chris Carter
5. RF Aaron Judge
6. C Austin Romine
7. 3B Ronald Torreyes
8. SS Ruben Tejada
9. 2B Gleyber Torres
   RHP Masahiro Tanaka

Available Pitchers: LHP Aroldis Chapman, LHP Tommy Layne, RHP Tyler Clippard, RHP Luis Cessa, RHP Yefrey Ramirez, and RHP Chance Adams are all listed as scheduled to pitch today. Assuming Tanaka goes three innings, I guess that means everyone else is throwing one inning each, including Cessa and Adams. We’ll see. RHP J.R. Graham, LHP Joe Mantiply, LHP Caleb Frare, and LHP Evan Rutckyj are also available today. Frare is up from minor league camp for the day.

Available Position Players: C Gary Sanchez, 1B Ji-Man Choi, 2B Jorge Mateo, SS Tyler Wade, 3B Pete Kozma, LF Donovan Solano, CF Dustin Fowler, RF Clint Frazier, and DH Aaron Hicks will be the second string off the bench. C Jorge Saez, C Kyle Higashioka, C Francisco Diaz, UTIL Wilkin Castillo, 3B Miguel Andujar, and OF Billy McKinney are also available, if necessary.

It is pretty cloudy in Tampa today, though there’s no rain in the forecast, and that’s most important. This afternoon’s game will begin a little after 1pm ET. You can watch live on YES and MLB.tv. There’s also the FOX Sports Go app. Enjoy the game.