Marcus Stroman To Start Grapefruit League Opener On Friday
2 days agoNew York Yankees right-hander Marcus Stroman will start the team's first Grapefruit League game on Friday against the division-rival Tampa Bay Rays, per manager Aaron Boone. As things currently stand, the veteran Stroman is on the outside looking in for an Opening Day starting rotation spot, but the 33-year-old said last week that he doesn't plan on pitching in a relief role. Clarke Schmidt is dealing with a "cranky back," which could open up a rotation spot, but he also has plenty of time to get ready for Opening Day. Stroman went 10-9 with a 4.31 ERA and 1.47 WHIP with only 113 strikeouts in 154 2/3 innings over 30 outings (29 starts) in his first year in the Bronx in 2024. His 16.7 percent strikeout rate was the worst of his career, and his velocity was also noticeably down. Stroman has always been a ground-ball artist, but a rebound is unlikely at his age, and finding a starter's workload could be a challenge.
Source: The Bergen Record - Pete Caldera
Source: The Bergen Record - Pete Caldera