Intrasquad game will be final tune-up for ace Cole
Gerrit Cole will start Friday’s intrasquad games, the Yankees ace’s final outing before facing the Nationals on July 23 in Washington on Opening Day on five days’ rest.
“He and I talked a little bit about it [Monday]. We just value having that sixth day going into his first start of the year,’’ Aaron Boone said via Zoom from Yankee Stadium, where his club worked out ahead of intrasquad games Tuesday and Wednesday. “We could have taken it now, felt like if we took it now he would be rolling into his Opening Day start on the fifth day coming off a time when we may be trying to push him a little bit.’’
James Paxton will pitch in an intrasquad game Wednesday and would be well-rested to start the second game of the season against the Nationals on July 25. Jordan Montgomery and Chad Green are the starters for Tuesday night’s intrasquad game at the Stadium.
➤ If the Yankees focus on the disappointment of losing the ALCS to the Astros last October to motivate them during the upcoming 60-game season, their focus is in the wrong neighborhood.
“What we lost last year is in the past right now. Our mentality is for the short season, stay hungry. We have a mission and the mission is to win everything,’’ Gleyber Torres said Monday via Zoom. “That is the job right now and we look to get there.’’
Torres is not high on facing his own pitchers, but that is all that has been available to him and the rest of the Yankee hitters until exhibition games against the Mets on Saturday and Sunday and the Phillies on Monday.
In addition to seeing different pitchers, Monday night will mark the return of Didi Gregorius to The Bronx, where he will find Torres as his replacement at shortstop. The Yankees also will see Gregorius in the fourth and fifth games of the regular season in Philadelphia.
“We know Didi, he always has really good energy. He is competition and we get there and try to win the series and focus,’’ said Torres, who was close to Gregorius. “All the guys have a really good relationship with Didi right now, but when we go to the field we forget the relationship and do the job.’’