MLB

Pineda resembling pitcher Yankees thought they were acquiring

TAMPA — Francisco Cervelli and Mark Teixeira know Michael Pineda almost exclusively as a rehab partner in Tampa.

After his performance this spring, they finally may see him start in the majors again.

Pineda made a strong impression Tuesday, tossing 4 ¹/₃ scoreless innings in the Yankees’ 8-1 win over the Red Sox at Steinbrenner Field. He gave up just four hits, struck out five and didn’t walk anyone.

“This is a guy we’ve been expecting to see the last couple of years,” Teixeira said. “If he’s healthy, if he’s the guy we traded for a couple of years ago, he’s a top-of-the-rotation starter. Those guys don’t come around easily.”

The Yankees have learned that the hard way. The right-hander had become almost a forgotten man in The Bronx when he was sidelined by shoulder surgery following the trade for Jesus Montero prior to the 2012 season.

Facing a Red Sox lineup on Tuesday that featured regulars like Jonny Gomes, Mike Carp and David Ross, Pineda featured a nasty slider.

Still, manager Joe Girardi wasn’t prepared to put Pineda in the rotation just yet after the 60-pitch outing, his third of the spring.

“The other guys are throwing pretty well, too,” Girardi said of David Phelps, Adam Warren and Vidal Nuno. “And we’ve got to get him stretched out farther and [see] how his stuff plays out.”

All of that may be true, but no one else in the competition has the stuff to rival Pineda, who is scheduled to pitch again Sunday.

“We’ve got to figure out what’s best for our team as a whole, and we’ll sort that out as we move forward here,” Girardi said, “but I’m sure we’ll start having a lot of discussions when we have some home games here and talk about how everyone fits.”

Asked if Pineda, whose fastball was between 91-94 mph, had the highest ceiling of those competing for the last spot, the manager replied: “He’s been pretty effective. That one year he was in Seattle, [we saw] he’s got a swing-and-miss slider, but the other guys have been pretty effective, too.”

Carp, one of Pineda’s strikeout victims, played with him in Seattle.

“It looked like he dropped his arm slot a little bit, but the ball was still coming out hot,” Carp said. “He’s just a big presence on the mound. If he’s got it all working, he’s going to be dominant.”

Girardi and Carp also noticed a new attitude on the mound.

“The guy has so much fun going out there and doing what he does,” Carp said. “I’m happy to see him back healthy. … When he’s on the mound, he’s locked in. But the way the ball is coming out, the way he’s throwing and attacking hitters, he looks every bit on his way back to where he was.”

Girardi was encouraged by how quickly Pineda worked, and Cervelli added he looked like a different pitcher than the one he caught in spring training two years ago — before the surgery.

“The speed was different,” Cervelli said. “That time he looked like there was something wrong. The slider wasn’t like it was today. He had more pain and you could see it come off his hand. Right now, it’s a late one.”

For his part, Pineda remains optimistic.

“I’m feeling better and better,” Pineda said. “And I feel more comfortable on the mound.”

Pineda hopes that’s enough to get him to Houston, where the Yankees open the regular season.

“I want to stay with the team,” Pineda said. “I really want to pitch in New York because I’ve never pitched in New York.”

“He’s still young and has a bright future if he’s healthy,” Teixeira said.