Yanks need Pineda to carry rotation
Michael Pineda doesn’t lack confidence in his ability, and the Yankees are high on the large righthander with a natural cut fastball that misses the meat of barrels.
Of course, that’s the way the pitcher and team have to feel in early April. However, the hosannas coming from the outside indicate the 26yearold Pineda is about to take a colossal leap — following two years of inactivity because of shoulder surgery and another interrupted by suspension and back problems — to the front of a very suspect and fragile Yankees rotation.
Even a year ago when Pineda pitched well when not suspended for foolishly bathing his neck in pine tar for the world to see and then missed almost four months with an upper back muscle problem, you didn’t mistake him for an ace inwaiting.
Now, because of his performance in spring training, the fragile state of Masahiro Tanaka’s right elbow and the 2,821 ¹ / ₃ innings logged by CC Sabathia’s left arm and working with a surgically repaired right knee, Pineda is viewed as the pitcher who can be the Yankees’ best starter. He gets his first chance to prove that Wednesday night against the Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium in the second game of the season.
“He could wind up being the ace of that staff,’’ said an NL scout who saw the 6foot7, 260pound Pineda often during spring training when he went 20 with a 1.42 ERA in five starts, fanning 23 and walking one in a staff high 19 innings. “I saw electric stuff. What stands out is that he is right on top of the hitter with long arms and legs and that creates great angles. I liked what I saw, there is no concern about his stuff. The only concern is his ability to stay healthy. Sometimes for a big guy there is a lot of moving parts and that can be a problem repeating the delivery but he didn’t seem to have any trouble with that.’’
All of that is fine and encouraging, but the question remains whether Pineda can be trusted with the responsibility that comes with being a frontend starter. Yes, he is older today than he was in the spring of 2012 when he arrived out of shape and heavy for his first Yankee camp and that led to a shoulder injury that required tricky surgery and kept him out of the big leagues for two years. A Tampa DUI bust while rehabbing in 2012 may have taught him a lesson. However, the pinetar incidents last year, the second of which cost him a 10game suspension, brought into question his intelligence and maturity.
Nevertheless, what Pineda did this spring when the games didn’t count can’t be ignored. Neither can the 55 ledger and 1.89 ERA of a year ago in 13 starts.
“He threw the ball really good, he might end up being their best guy,’’ an AL scout said. “Tanaka is going to blow [ out], and who knows about CC? Pineda’s body language in between pitches isn’t good but when he steps on the mound he is ready to go.’’
Asked about the prospects of delivering a big year and turning into the pitcher the Yankees believed they got from Seattle for Jesus Montero before the 2012 season, Pineda said: “Nobody knows what is going to happen. I want to be ready. I feel great. I’m happy with that.’’
Catcher Brian McCann was more direct.
“I think he’s going to have a big year,” McCann said. “His stuff speaks for itself. When he takes the mound, he’s as good as anybody in the league. He creates tough angles. You don’t see many people get the movement he gets on his fastball. Then he comes at you with that slider and got a really good changeup.
“We’re confident in him doing big things. This spring was a big spring for him. He’s feeling good coming into the season and that’s a big key.’’