Today is not just another Grapefruit League game. Staff ace Masahiro Tanaka is making his spring debut this afternoon, and he of course is coming off offseason surgery to remove a bone spur from his elbow. The Yankees have been taking it slow with him so far in camp, but now it’s time for game action. Assuming all goes well, today’s start lines Tanaka up perfectly for Opening Day.
Tanaka’s outing — he’s probably scheduled for something like two innings or 30 pitches — is the headliner today but it’s not the only story. Gary Sanchez is in the starting lineup and that’s a big deal. The Yankees have him catching Tanaka. They wouldn’t pair them if they weren’t seriously considering Sanchez for the backup catcher’s job. Also, Rob Refsnyder is starting at third base, a position he’s never played before. His ability to man the hot corner could be the difference between making the Opening Day roster or returning to Triple-A.
The Yankees made the quick bus ride over the causeway to Clearwater and will play the Phillies this afternoon. It’s not a long trip but they didn’t send many regulars anyway. Only the bare minimum. Here is the Phillies’ lineup and here is the Yankees’ lineup:
- SS Didi Gregorius
- 2B Starlin Castro
- DH Chase Headley
- 1B Dustin Ackley
- C Gary Sanchez
- RF Aaron Hicks
- 3B Rob Refsnyder
- LF Lane Adams
- CF Slade Heathcott
RHP Masahiro Tanaka
Available Pitchers: RHP Anthony Swarzak, RHP Chad Green, RHP Vicente Campos, LHP James Pazos, RHP Branden Pinder, and LHP Tyler Webb are all scheduled to pitch. RHP Kirby Yates is also available if necessary.
Available Position Players: C Austin Romine, 1B Deibinson Romero, 2B Tyler Wade, SS Jorge Mateo, 3B Ronald Torreyes, LF Ben Gamel, CF Dustin Fowler, RF Aaron Judge, and DH Carlos Corporan will come off the bench to replace the starters. C Santiago Nessy, C Sebastian Valle, IF Jonathan Diaz, and OF Cesar Puello drew the short straws and made the trip as well.
Pretty nice afternoon for baseball in Clearwater today. The internet tells me temperatures are in the low-70s, so it’s a little cool, but it’s bright and sunny with no clouds. If you’re in the Phillies home market, you can watch today’s came on Comcast SportNet. If not, you can only watch on MLB.tv. There’s no YES broadcast and MLB Network will show the game on tape delay at 8pm ET, but not live. First pitch is scheduled for a bit after 1pm ET. Enjoy.
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