On Friday night, New York Yankees starting pitcher Michael Pineda made his second rehab start on for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
In front of a sold out crowd at PNC Field, the 26-year-old went 4.2 innings against the Rochester Red Wins, the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. Pineda allowed one run on three hits, walking none while striking out three hitters he faced.
After throwing 42 pitches in his first rehab start, Pineda escalated his pitch count by 20 pitches, throwing 62 pitches during his second rehab assignment. The right hander has been on the disabled list since July 30 with a right forearm strain, so it appears likely that Pineda is somewhat close to a big league return.
With Pineda making a successful second rehab start, it is still unclear what the Yankees’ intentions are with their young starting pitcher. Pineda told reporters that he hoped to return to the big league rotation as early as next week, but the Yankees have not stated their intentions as to whether or not that is a logical expectation.
When he does return, manager Joe Girardi stated that the team might look into a six-man rotation for the month of September. With a tough schedule that includes a consecutive streak of 17 games to end the season, having an extra starter could be beneficial for this Yankee team as they fight for a playoff spot in a tough American League East race.
As more information comes along about Pineda, make sure you stay tuned to Bronx Pinstripes for all the latest updates. You can follow us on Twitter @BronxPinstripes, and you can like us on Facebook by searching Bronx Pinstripes.
