The problem with Javier Vazquez is obvious to Yankees pitching coach Dave Eiland: mechanics.
Vazquez’s performance so far this season has been disastrous. He is 0-2 with a 9.82 ERA after getting clobbered by the Rays last week and struggling against the Angels on Wednesday. Granted, it’s just two starts, against two playoff-caliber opponents. Nevertheless, Vazquez’s velocity was disturbingly lagging in Wednesday’s loss, and he heard boos from the Bronx faithful.
Eiland explained yesterday that Vazquez has been “getting a little quick in his delivery,” with the lower half of his body moving too fast, causing his right arm to drag and him to get underneath his pitches. That can cause all kinds of problems — with sharpness, velocity, etc.
“It could be [the reason for the low velocity],” Eiland said. “I’m not saying it is, but it could be.”
Eiland also said that as far as he’s aware, Vazquez is healthy, so the low readings aren’t any sign of a physical problem.
All in all, Eiland is not worried about the flailing pitcher.
“Look at his track record,” Eiland said. “He’s going to be fine.”
For now, however, Vazquez remains part of the Yankees’ biggest issue — the questionable back end of their rotation. Before the season, the Yankees added Vazquez in a trade from Atlanta, bringing him back for a second New York go-round to be their fourth starter. And they handed Phil Hughes the fifth starter’s spot after a spring training derby that included Joba Chamberlain, Alfredo Aceves, Sergio Mitre and Chad Gaudin.
Eight games into the season, though, the No. 4 and 5 rotation spots are a mystery. Vazquez is responsible for two of the Yankees’ three losses, and Hughes didn’t make his first start until last night against the Angels.
The Yankees are counting on both Vazquez and Hughes to be reliable and stabilizing members of their rotation. If one or both have problems, what figured to be an enormous team strength could become a damaging Achilles’ heel.
Eiland said he isn’t worried that the fans’ reactions or a sense of negativity would get into Vazquez’s head, but manager Joe Girardi said he remembers what it was like as a player when he came to The Bronx in 1996 to replace Mike Stanley behind the plate. He wasn’t a popular addition at first.
“It was hard because I had never really been booed in my life, at least not by my home crowd,” Girardi said. “It was something that people had discussions with me about just being myself and not getting caught up with what’s going around and that you would earn the fans’ faith and trust in you.
“For me it wasn’t until Doc Gooden’s no-hitter that it changed for me and that was in the month of May. I scuffled in the month of April and it was difficult. My wife, Kim, had a long talk with me. Don Zimmer had a long talk with me. There were a lot of people, but it was just something I had to work through and remember how I had been successful in the past and how I had to get back to doing those things.”
Like his pitching coach, Girardi said he’s not worried about Vazquez.
“I think he’s going to be fine,” Girardi said. “I think he’ll be able to handle this.”
Additional reporting by Brian Costello