TAMPA — The two most important Yankees pitchers will be on display Saturday at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
Staff ace CC Sabathia and closer Mariano Rivera will throw bullpen sessions. It will be Sabathia’s first mound workout of the spring and Rivera’s second.
Each hurler is coming back from surgery. Sabathia had a bone spur removed from his left elbow after the ALCS loss to the Tigers. Rivera underwent surgery during the season to repair a torn ACL in his left knee. He suffered the injury shagging fly balls in batting practice the first week of May in Kansas City.
Outside of general body soreness, Rivera said he felt good after throwing a 25-pitch bullpen session Wednesday.
* Michael Pineda and Cesar Cabral worked in the bullpen early yesterday morning while manager Joe Girardi observed. Pineda (right shoulder surgery) and Cabral (fractured left elbow) are coming back from injuries and won’t be ready at the start of the season.
PHOTOS: YANKEES SPRING TRAINING
“I thought he looked pretty good,’’ Girardi said of the 24-year-old Pineda, who isn’t expected back from shoulder surgery until at least July. “Cabral, too. I was pleasantly surprised because Tuesday was [Pineda’s] first full day off the full mound. It’s good to see them up there.’’
Last spring, Pineda’s physical fitness and arm strength were big topics around the right-hander acquired from the Mariners in the Jesus Montero trade.
This year the 6-foot-7 hurler appears to be in better shape after going from 280 to 260 pounds, but the referendum on his velocity will have to wait.
“We have to get him into games and not the first game, get to three or four rehab starts before we say, ‘OK, where do we think his velocity will project,’ ” Girardi said.
As for Cabral, he was in the mix for a bullpen spot late last spring before suffering the injury that kept him out of the entire season.
“He is progressing well,’’ Girardi said of the 24-year-old. “We like his arm but he won’t quite be ready. I don’t have an exact date for him getting into games. At some point, May or something, you are going to see him in games.”
* Yogi Berra’s absence from camp has been noticed.
“We are all disappointed he is not here and we miss him,’’ Girardi said of the Yankees icon not being on hand due to having trouble traveling. “We look forward to seeing him when we get [to New York].’’
Jorge Posada is on the list of guest instructors, but Girardi said he didn’t know when Posada would surface in camp.
“Guest instructors make their own schedules,’’ Girardi said. “A lot of guys usually like to wait until games start.’’
Guest instructors Goose Gossage and Ron Guidry are in camp.
* Position players report to camp tomorrow and the first full-squad workout is Monday.