So did you hear the one about the Yankees starter who threw a bullpen session then did not need to be scratched from his next appearance?
No joke, the Yankees actually received more good news on the rotation front Wednesday. This time it concerned Michael Pineda.
Pineda, who is scheduled to work his second rehab start Friday at the Yankees’ Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre affiliate, threw a 25-pitch bullpen session Wednesday and reported feeling strong.
“Everything feels good, feeling good,” said Pineda, who was placed on the disabled list May 6 and has missed 82 games because of an injury to a right shoulder muscle — the teres major muscle if you must know.
Pineda is just one figure in a Yankees rotation decimated by injuries. In addition to Pineda, CC Sabathia (knee), Ivan Nova (elbow) and Masahiro Tanaka have endured lengthy stays on the disabled list. Additionally, David Phelps (elbow) was placed on the 15-day DL on Monday.
Sabathia and Nova are done for the season, but the Yankees remain optimistic Pineda, Tanaka and Phelps will return to help any playoff push. The Yankees, who defeated the Tigers 5-1 Wednesday night at the Stadium, are five games behind AL East-leading Baltimore, but just one game behind in the wild-card standings.
Pineda — who threw 58 pitches Sunday (he was penciled in for 65) in his rehab for SWB, working 3¹/₃ scoreless innings, allowing three hits, one walk while striking out four — has insisted “I will” pitch again this season. First, he is pumped for Friday against Columbus.
“I have 80 pitches. The last one was like 65,” Pineda said. “I felt I had the energy to continue pitching because everything was good. … I felt perfect. I’m looking forward to Friday.”
As for when he will pitch in pinstripes that count, Pineda, who went 2-2 with a 1.83 ERA in four starts for the Yankees before being sidelined, said there is no time frame, but he did note he will go “whenever they’re ready” to call him.
Who knows when that call will come. It could be sooner rather than later, given the state of the Yankees’ pitching. With new acquisitions, old reliables such as Hiroki Kuroda and the inevitable call-ups, the Yankees have used 11 different starting pitchers this season, their highest total since they employed 13 in 2008.
Though manager Joe Girardi might not know who he is starting on Friday, he does know Pineda will start for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
“He’s probably available to go 75 to 80 [pitches] and then we’ll see where we’re at,” Girardi said. “But I said we wanted to get him to 90 but with the circumstances we’re in, you never know.”
Hey, Pineda said he was ready Wednesday had he been needed.
“I think so, I’m feeling fine, feeling good,” Pineda said.
But he has waited this long. A little longer — and at least one more rehab start — can’t hurt that much. The Yankees had indicated they wanted the 25-year-old to make two additional minor league starts after his first rehab game in order to build endurance and strengthen the shoulder. So Pineda, who did not pitch in the majors in 2012 or 2013 because of injury and subsequent rehabs, said whenever the call comes, he is ready.
“It’s hard [being out], but everything is fine. It’s part of [baseball],” Pineda said. “You can’t worry, you just have to work on everything. I want to finish strong.”