Lakeland, Florida — Manager Aaron Boone strolled from the third-base dugout to right field and behind the wall on his way to the visiting clubhouse at Joker Marchant Stadium shortly following the Yankees’ 8-6 victory over the Tigers.
Boone paused a few steps before reaching the clubhouse to speak with four reporters, only to be taken away for a brief moment. Kaityn Brennan, a Yankees media relations official, whispered to Boone, who leaned down with an ear to her face to listen.
Boone provided another update on Yankees ace Gerrit Cole, who underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery in Los Angeles on Tuesday.
Boone explained that Cole’s UCL tear was repaired using an internal brace.
This is a newer twist on the standard Tommy John surgery, but because to the thorough repair, the return to pitching will not be any faster than the typical 12-to-18 months.
During his brief post-game interview, Boone praised Max Fried for his one-run, four-inning start, as well as Yankee-turned-Tiger Gleyber Torres’ 405-foot, one-out home bomb in the first inning.
Boone said that Fried will not be the Yankees’ Opening Day starter on March 27. He’ll announce his decision on Friday, and it’ll almost definitely be Carlos Rodon, the Yankees’ other senior left-handed starter.
Aside from Torres’ home run, Fried retired the other 12 batters he faced in his second start of the spring with three strikeouts and a lot of soft contact. His 57-pitch outing was followed by around five more in the bullpen, putting him within the top 60 for the afternoon.
“I felt pretty good,” Fried explained. “I got through four innings.” I received a lot of groundballs. I put some pitches in various locations.
“I think all in all, I came out of it healthy and feeling good.”
Fried was also pleased that he finally got to pitch to Yankees starting catcher Austin Wells during a game.
“Obviously, he’s extremely talented and very smart,” said Fried, who signed an eight-year, $218-million contract with the Yankees last December as a free agent. “I’m the type of person who enjoys having long conversations with the guy I work with. I was only trying to understand what he was seeing. We’re becoming more familiar.
“I am new here. It’s my first time throwing to him, so I’m learning him, and he’s learning me.
NOTABLE
— Rookie left fielder Jasson Dominguez went 1-for-3 with a home run, a walk, and a 105.7-mph groundout, but he couldn’t catch a fifth-inning liner that knocked off his glove when it was tailing away from him down the left field line.
— First baseman Paul Goldschmidt went 2-for-4 with a homer and a double, raising his average to.300.
— Shortstop. Anthony Volpe is hitting. 167 after going 0 for 2 with a walk and a strikeout.
— The Tigers scored two runs in the ninth inning on bases-loaded walks when Hayden Merda, a minor-league righty, replaced veteran righty Yerry De Los Santos and walked three consecutive batters before getting a flyout to close the game.
LOOKING AHEAD
Friday: Phillies versus Yankees, 6:36 p.m. on YES. Taijuan Walker vs. Allan Winans.
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