TAMPA, Fla. -- Paul Goldschmidt said his back feels ¡°100 percent, or very, very close to it,¡± one day after participating in live batting practice drills at George M. Steinbrenner Field, and the veteran first baseman continues to believe he will be ready for Opening Day.
¡°When there¡¯s something that¡¯s a little sore or something is weird, during the season, your mind is just like, ¡®Oh, I¡¯m just going to play,¡¯¡± said Goldschmidt, who exited the Yankees' 7-6 loss against the Blue Jays on March 17 in Dunedin, Fla. after two plate appearances.
¡°When you know you¡¯re preparing for something in the future, it¡¯s a little different trying to gauge how aggressive to be with it. I think we¡¯re taking a little bit more conservative approach. But I also think the work I¡¯m going to get in ¡ that¡¯s just going to continue to build for Opening Day and the whole regular season.¡±
Yankees manager Aaron Boone had said he expected Goldschmidt to return to Grapefruit League action on Friday against the Tigers in Lakeland, Fla. Goldschmidt said the new plan will have him in the lineup for Saturday¡¯s game against the Phillies at Steinbrenner Field.
Boone said Friday that Goldschmidt will play Saturday and Sunday in Tampa, and again on Tuesday at Miami.
¡°He was ready to play yesterday,¡± Boone said. ¡°This was just, I can get him three out of four [games] into the off-day ahead of Opening Day.¡±
Goldschmidt, 37, has been remarkably durable over his career, playing in 150 or more games in each of the last nine full Major League seasons.
Last year, Goldschmidt appeared in 154 games for the Cardinals, batting .245/.302/.414 (98 OPS+) with 33 doubles, 22 home runs and 65 RBIs.
Building up
Clarke Schmidt said his right shoulder is recovering well after tossing 32 pitches over two innings in live batting practice on Thursday at Steinbrenner Field.
However, the right-hander acknowledges he is running out of time to be ready for an April 3 start against the D-backs, which Boone had previously indicated as a target.
¡°It¡¯s probably tougher to reach that, as far as the pitch count goes,¡± Schmidt said. ¡°We might be a little handcuffed.¡±
Schmidt¡¯s next outing is scheduled for March 25. The most likely scenario is for Schmidt to begin the season on the injured list, remaining in Florida to build stamina. If that happens, Carlos Carrasco and Will Warren could both begin the year in the rotation.
Schmidt said his offseason throwing program was delayed after pitching deep into October, and he also was impacted by back soreness during Spring Training. He suggested he might want to be around 65-70 pitches before pitching in a Major League game.
¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m too far behind,¡± Schmidt said. ¡°The building of the pitch count is obviously the most important thing right now.¡±
Goldschmidt faced Schmidt in the live BP session and was impressed.
¡°He looked good,¡± Goldschmidt said. ¡°He¡¯s got good movement on his stuff, a few different pitches. He threw well.¡±
Smith opts out of contract
Infielder/outfielder Dominic Smith has opted out of his Minor League contract with the Yankees. Smith, who was in the original lineup for Friday¡¯s game against the Tigers, was able to opt out if the club did not add him to the 40-man roster.
Smith, 29, is 11-for-37 (.297) with three homers and 12 RBIs in 13 Grapefruit League games this spring. The Yankees were considering him as a designated hitter option, though he is left-handed and the club is seeking a right-handed bench bat.
¡°He came in and has done everything he has needed to do,¡± Boone said. ¡°Clearly, he¡¯s a big league player. He¡¯s been great in the room. He¡¯s performed. I feel like he¡¯s in really good shape. So we¡¯ll see what happens.¡±
Left-hander Tyler Matzek can also opt out of his Minor League contract on Friday, but he is not expected to do so. Matzek, 34, might have made the Opening Day bullpen if healthy, but he has been limited to one spring appearance due to a right oblique strain.
On the board
On Friday, it was announced that Goldschmidt has joined the advisory board of the Taylor Hooton Foundation, which educates young people about the dangers of performance-enhancing substances.
¡°We¡¯re thrilled to have Paul join the advisory board with the Yankees and be part of an incredible group of major-league players who have stepped up to serve as positive role models,¡± said foundation president Donald Hooton, Jr.
¡°We¡¯re also very proud of the support that Major League Baseball and these elite athletes provide in sending a positive message to kids that they, too, can accomplish all of their dreams without the use of drugs. The participation of these players in our efforts to educate young people that using these substances is not the right choice cannot be overstated.¡±