NEW YORK 每 Marcus Stroman trudged toward the first-base dugout in the first inning on Friday night, his early exit accompanied by a chorus of boos. The Yankees＊ starting pitching was lauded as perhaps baseball＊s best coming into this season, but it has become an area of concern.
Other than Max Fried, who has a razor-sharp 1.56 ERA across three starts, the Bombers have struggled to find consistency in the rotation. A 46-pitch effort from Stroman, who permitted five runs and recorded just two outs in a 9-1, rain-shortened loss to the Giants at Yankee Stadium, certainly didn＊t help.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone closed his postgame remarks by revealing that Stroman mentioned an issue with his left knee after the outing. Stroman had X-rays performed at Yankee Stadium and was sent to an area hospital for further testing, according to Boone.
※When he came out, he said his left knee was bugging him,§ Boone said. ※We＊ll see what we have [Saturday].§
A potential injury would explain Stroman＊s rocky performance. Should he require a stint on the injured list, it would answer the question of how the Yankees plan to re-insert Clarke Schmidt to the rotation next week, with Schmidt scheduled to return on Tuesday or Wednesday against the Royals.
Stroman was not sharp. Jung Hoo Lee hit a three-run homer and LaMonte Wade Jr. ripped a two-run double off Stroman, who saw the first six Giants reach base via three hits and three walks. There were sarcastic cheers heard as Stroman recorded a strikeout and a flyout, but the veteran was then chased by a Tyler Fitzgerald single.
※He just didn＊t get ahead,§ said catcher Austin Wells. ※They had some good swings on some pitches. Not a good recipe.§
It was Stroman＊s third career start in which he was unable to escape the first inning. His last such occurrence came exactly four years ago Friday, on April 11, 2021, for the Mets against the Marlins. That outing was cut short due to rain.
※When he came into the zone, he got hurt,§ said Boone, who added he still believes Stroman shows enough movement to be a viable big league starter.
Wells had a run-scoring double for the Yankees, who have managed just 11 runs across their past five games after scoring 72 in their first eight.
Worsening conditions prompted play to be halted in the sixth inning, when reliever Yoendrys G車mez issued four walks and saw his fastball velocity dip into the mid-80s, prompting concern from Boone and the coaching staff.
※I felt good [physically],§ G車mez said through interpreter Marlon Abreu. ※There were definitely some factors in this game, but at the end of the day, competing is what matters. Regardless of the situation, you go in there to compete. Definitely not a good day.§
Stroman came into this spring as seemingly the sixth starter in a five-man rotation, insisting that he was not competing for a spot and would not pitch out of the bullpen. That proved true when injuries to Schmidt, Gerrit Cole and Luis Gil changed the landscape.
Beginning the year as the No. 3 starter, Stroman has allowed 12 runs in 9 1/3 innings (11.57 ERA), though he＊s hardly the only starter looking to find his footing.
Opening Day starter Carlos Rod車n has allowed 11 runs (10 earned) across 17 1/3 innings (5.19 ERA), while Carlos Carrasco (7.71 ERA across 11 2/3 innings) and Will Warren (6.00 ERA across nine innings) have also had issues.
※We＊ve got to do better,§ Boone said. ※We＊re coming off a great start [Wednesday] with Max, but we＊ve struggled to this point. We＊re 13 games in, but we＊ve got to -- night in and night out -- pitch a little bit better to put us in a good situation.
※We＊ll keep working at it. Clarke is going to join, and that should help things. We＊ve got very capable people, but we＊ve got to get a little more.§
The early ending alleviated some pressure on a staff that had to cover the remaining outs behind Stroman on Friday 每 no light ask, considering the contest marked the Yanks＊ first of 13 scheduled games without an off-day.
※Whenever you＊re called, you come in and get outs,§ said Ryan Yarbrough, who tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings. ※You just try to make the best of the situation. We played in a lot of rainy and crummy games on the road trip. We＊ve kind of been used to it the last few days.§