Warren ready to rejoin Yanks after three-inning rehab
TRENTON » It still seems like just yesterday Adam Warren was on the mound for the Thunder trying to pitch his way to the major leagues.
Eight years later he was back on the bump at Arm & Hammer Park for a rehab appearance.
Warren allowed one hit and struck out three in three scoreless innings for the Thunder against Reading on Wednesday night as he works his way back from a right back strain that has kept him out of action since April 21.
“I felt much better, more polished,” he said after tossing 26 of his 41 pitches for strikes. “I was just a little rusty the other day. I felt like I was attacking the zone much better and felt really good about where my pitches were at.”
Warren was tagged for four runs in 0.2 innings on May 26 in a rehab outing for Triple-A Scranton, but he was much sharper this time out, allowing only a first-inning double.
“I think it was more just getting out there and trying to be more aggressive,” Warren said. “I think I was trying to be a little too perfect last time, do too much coming back from an injury. I was trying to simplify it and pound the zone.”
He recorded five of his nine outs via ground out.
“I’m not a huge strikeout pitcher,” Warren said. “I like strikeouts just like everybody else does, but trying to miss the barrel of the bat and get it on the ground.”
Warren said his next stop is Baltimore, where coincidentally, the Yankees begin a four-game set against the Orioles on Thursday.
“I don’t know what that means,” he added, “but hopefully good things.”
The 30-year-old righthander made eight appearances with a 3.24 ERA in 8.1 innings before his injury.
The Yankees selected Warren in the fourth round of the 2009 draft out of North Carolina and he made his big league debut in 2012. He had 10 starts for the Thunder in 2010 along the way, going 4-2 with a 3.15 ERA.
“It’s pretty much what I remember and I always liked pitching here,” Warren said. “It was fun to come back and take a trip down memory lane.”
Warren was later traded to the Cubs in a deal that brought Starlin Castro to the Bronx and then reacquired by the Yankees as part of the Aroldis Chapman trade along with Gleyber Torres, Billy McKinney and Rashad Crawford.
Warren posted a 2.35 ERA in 57.1 innings (46 appearances) for the Yankees last season.