THE NEWS IS BIG ON MICHAEL PINEDA

The Yankees got some great news from the Trenton Thunder as Michael Pineda’s road to the Bronx passed another test with flying colors. In his first start at the AA level, facing the Erie Seawolves, Pineda threw 6 innings of scoreless baseball. He allowed only four baserunners, two on base hits, and two on walks. Known for his high velocity pitches and strikeout totals, he struck out four over that span. This performance follows two rehab starts at Class A Tampa, where he struck out seven over 8 1/3 innings and held opposing batters to a .280 average.

Our Bleeding Yankee Blue Field Correspondent, Chris Carbonaro (@carbs_ on Twitter), happened to be in attendance for this start. He reported that Pineda: “throws gas and he had a shutout through five but I still don't think he's 100% yet, he's still working his way back. He's fun to watch, it's always fun to watch a guy who throws that hard. His innings were quick there wasn't a time when he was in a jam.”  That news could not be better. While the numbers look good, if he’s really controlling the game well enough to never be in a jam over 6 innings, he could be the element of calm and dominant control that the Yankees rotation needs right now.

Projections are that Pineda will start for the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees on Saturday. Assuming that his performance and recovery continue on their current track, the Yankees could activate him soon after that (read HERE). For all the hope that we had in this guy, it would be great to see him finally on the mound at Yankee Stadium.




--Ike Dimitriadis, BYB Writer
Twitter: @KingAgamemnon
My blog is: Shots from Murderer's Row



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