Sabathia gets ball Tuesday

TAMPA — The right knee, cleaned out arthroscopically after last season, is fine. The changeup and slider were good and the cutter made progress in a simulated game Thursday on the back field at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

Now, CC Sabathia is ready to graduate to a game when he makes his exhibition season debut Tuesday against the Blue Jays.

“It went good, no problems,’’ Sabathia said of the two-inning effort in which he faced Dustin Fowler, Jorge Mateo and Miguel Andujar. “Everything has been good so far. The next step is to get into a game.’’

At this time last March the veteran lefty was competing against Ivan Nova for the fifth spot in the rotation. Sabathia won the battle, but not until the final week of spring training.

Sabathia responded with his best season since 2013, when he was 14-13 with a 4.78 ERA in 32 starts and logged 211 innings. In 30 starts and 179 2/3 frames a year ago, Sabathia went 9-12 with a 3.91 ERA. In the final five starts, Sabathia posted a 2.43 ERA.

“I feel great, I came in to get my work in and accomplished that so far,’’ said Sabathia, who will be 37 in July and a free agent following the season.

Aroldis Chapman worked a perfect inning in his spring training debut against the Orioles at GMS Field and pushed the speed gun to 100 mph on his second pitch. He struck out two of three batters and featured an effective change-up.

“I feel good about the action it has right now,’’ said Chapman, who explained he needs eight appearances to be ready for the season.

Sabathia and David Price are friends and stay in contact a lot during the season. But Sabathia hadn’t talked to the Red Sox pitcher about a left elbow problem that is getting a second opinion look by noted orthopedic surgeon James Andrews.

“I will give him a text to wish him the best for sure,” Sabathia said.