Jordan takes 5th rotation
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Jordan Montgomery has taken the fifth. The second-year lefty was the presumptive favorite to round out the Yankees’ starting rotation to open 2018, but manager Aaron Boone made it official before Friday night’s 3-1 loss to the Braves at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex.
“I see it as his,” Boone said. “I view it as he was very much a frontrunner for that spot. We’re really excited about not only the year he put together last year, but where we think he can continue to develop. When I look at him, I look at him as one of our starters.”
GM Brian Cashman considered adding a proven hurler during the offseason, and lightsout reliever Chad Green also has been working as a starter to open training camp to compete with the 25-year-old Montgomery, who finished his rookie campaign with a 9-7 record and a 3.88 ERA over 155.1 innings (29 starts).
“We’ll move Greenie back now to that pen role and start preparing him in that way,” Boone said. “Obviously he was as elite as it got last year, so we’ll start to work him back into that role now where obviously he’s capable of multiple innings down there, which is such a bonus.”
Green emerged as a multiinning weapon out of the bullpen last season, going 5-0 with a 1.83 ERA and 103 strikeouts in 69 innings (40 appearances).
GETTING THERE
Clint Frazier was encouraged to be able to lace up his spikes and do some running drills on Friday in Tampa, as the spare outfielder continues to work back from a concussion. Jacoby Ellsbury (oblique) also is improving, but both players are “at least several days away” from