Is almost ready to begin throwing
ground. Paxton will have to work up to 120 feet before the rehab continues on the mound.
WEARING IT WITH A SMILE
On a windy day at Joker Marchant Stadium, Jordan Montgomery watched new Yankees ace Gerrit Cole go out against the Tigers, get shelled for two innings and give up four home runs.
Then he went out and did the same in a 15-10 loss where 11 home runs were launched.
“You just want to get guys to continue to build up their pitch count. Monty, for example … I thought he threw the ball really well,” manager Aaron Boone said. “A couple popups got him. It was one of those crazy spring games, I guess.”
Montgomery, like Cole, was not rattled.
It was one of those days, and after coming off 2018 Tommy John surgery, he’s just happy to be pitching every fifth day and feeling good.
“Just pitching, being able to have three ups and feel strong so I’ll just keep building, throwing strikes and I’m just happy to be here be on the team and be around the guys and the same schedule,” Montgomery said.
Ironically, it came hours after Aaron Boone said Montgomery was pretty much a lock for the rotation coming out of camp.
“Yeah, I think he’s…what he’s shown us, where he’s at physically, how he’s throwing the ball coupled with his track record already. This is a guy that’s already had a really strong big league season under his belt,” Boone said. “So I’m excited about where he is and feel like he’s very much solidifying himself.”
That’s pretty much a lock at this point with Paxton expected to miss the first month or two of the season. Luis Severino is out for the season after Tommy John surgery and Domingo German is suspended until June under MLB/MLBPA’s domestic violence rules.
But Montgomery, who was 9-7 with a 3.88 ERA in his rookie 2017 season, isn’t taking anything for granted.
“I’ve just been trying to get my work done, I believe that when I get my stuff done and I’m locked in that my stuff will play, so I’m just gonna go out there every five days, whenever they call on me and try and throw strikes and get outs.
HIGGY HOMERS
Backup catcher Kyle Higashioka
was the only Yankee who found the jet stream that was sending balls out of the park Thursday. He hit his first two homers of the spring on Thursday — the only dingers the Yankees had in the 11-homer game.
“He took advantage (of the wind) on a flyball to right, but he crushed that ball to left center,” Boone said. “Good for him to get some at-bats and have some quality at-bats.”