HOUSTON — Multiple scouts pointed out a slight dip in David Robertson’s velocity in the final days of spring training.
“He was 88 to 90 mph the last time I saw him and he is usually 92 and a tick above,’’ a talent evaluator said of the Yankees’ closer. “His velocity was down a little bit. He can usually pop out a 93. I don’t know, he might have been working on something, but it was down.”
According to Brian Cashman, he hasn’t been made aware of a slip in Robertson’s velocity and therefore isn’t concerned.
“It hasn’t come up at all,’’ the general manager said.
A check of Robertson’s velocity numbers last season indicates he throws harder as the season progresses. In early April he was at 90.5 mph. At the end of May it was 93.2. In the final days of June it was 92.4. At the end of July he was at 92 and at the end of August, 91.5. On Sept. 29 Robertson’s fastball was 91.8.
So, while 88 to 90 might indicate a drop, its high side is only a half mph from what Robertson threw early last April.
Michael Pineda, the Yankees’ No. 5 starter, threw six innings in a minor league intrasquad game in Tampa. Pineda, who will start Saturday against the Blue Jays in Toronto, allowed a run, three hits, three walks and fanned eight.
Pineda hasn’t pitched in a big league game since 2011 because of a tricky right shoulder surgery in May 2012.
“I’m so happy,” Pineda said. “It’s a beautiful day for me because good energy today.”
Cashman, manager Joe Girardi and pitching coach Larry Rothschild watched Pineda’s 89-pitch effort, which included 58 strikes.
“By his personality, you can tell he feels really good about where he’s at,” Cashman said.
“I’m the same Michael Pineda because my command is the same [as the first half of 2011], my slider is the same, my changeup is better right now. My velocity is here, so I’m the same Michael Pineda,” Pineda said. “I’m so happy. Before the surgery I threw 97, 98 [mph] whatever, but I am focusing more on making quality pitches in the game. I have a really good fastball right now, too. I’m so happy.”
Signed to a minor league contract last week, Alfredo Aceves also threw Sunday in Tampa.
“We took [Adam] Warren, [David] Phelps and [Vidal] Nuno in the pen, so we had to reinforce Triple-A because of that,’’ Cashman said of signing the 31-year-old Aceves, who pitched for the Yankees from 2008 to 2010.
Aceves, who can relieve or start, will join the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre rotation. Sunday he topped out at 95 mph and pitched at 91-92.
In six big league seasons with the Yankees and Red Sox, Aceves is 30-14 in 195 games (15 starts) with a 3.69 ERA. He was in spring training camp with the Orioles.
The Yankees will work out Monday at Minute Maid Park in preparation for Tuesday night’s Opening Day game against the Astros.