Via Joel Sherman: Michael Pineda “topped out in the low-90 mph range and threw well” during his first simulated game earlier this week. That is pretty darn encouraging considering it was his first real game action and that he’s not even a full year out from surgery yet. For what it’s worth, Joe Girardi told Chad Jennings the Yankees did not have a radar gun on the right-hander the other day. Who knows.
Pineda, 24, threw a handful of live batting practice sessions in recent weeks before the simulated game. He only threw one inning, but that’s not at all surprising. His workload will gradually increase in the coming weeks. Sherman says the Yankees are hopeful Pineda can begin an official 30-day minor league rehab assignment in early-May, and if all goes well he could jump right into the rotation in early-June or be optioned to Triple-A for more seasoning service time issues. I think Ivan Nova’s performance is going to play a big role in that decision.
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