TAMPA – When Clayton Beeter reported to spring coaching in 2024, he did in order a depth starter earlier than cracking the Yankees’ Opening Day roster as a reliever.
This 12 months he reported to camp targeted solely on the bullpen, a plan that was communicated to him within the offseason. Beeter, 26, will not fear about beginning after doing so all through his minor league profession.
“Whatever they need me to do,” Beeter mentioned when requested if he’s okay with the swap. “I just want to help in the big leagues. So if that’s the way to do it, then it’s good with me.”
This isn’t precisely an surprising transfer, as Beeter has been pegged as a pitcher who could be higher off within the pen ever because the Yankees acquired him from the Dodgers for Joey Gallo in 2022. His energy arsenal is proscribed to 2 pitches, a fastball and slider, and he’s additionally struggled with command and well being through the years.
That latter woe included a case of shoulder irritation final season and extra shoulder soreness over the offseason.
“The injury last year kind of derailed him,” pitching coach Matt Blake mentioned. “We brought him back in the relief role to get him back last year and he kind of took to it, had some success. It felt like that was probably the right place to put him in and optimize around his health a little bit and simplify his pitch package.”
Beeter, anticipated to influence the Yanks’ massive league bullpen this season, now says that his shoulder is within the clear. He’s a few weeks behind in his buildup and isn’t precisely positive if he’s on monitor for Opening Day but, however Blake mentioned the pitcher is “not too far away” from going through hitters after Beeter threw a bullpen on Feb. 18.
“I’m not really worried about the shoulder anymore,” Beeter mentioned. “I’m feeling really good now. So I just gotta listen to the trainers on when I can progress and throw lives and games and all that stuff.”
Beeter solely pitched in three video games for the Yankees final season, making one look on March 29 earlier than including two video games in September. He allowed two earned runs over 3.2 innings, struck out 5 and walked one.
He spent nearly all of his season within the minors, totaling 12 outings, seven begins, a 2.08 ERA, 21 walks and 56 strikeouts over 39 innings. He shifted to the bullpen following his shoulder damage, which Yankees GM Brian Cashman initially feared was season-ending.
Beeter’s aid potential shortly turned obvious, as he threw seven scoreless innings whereas strolling none and hanging out a dozen batters over seven innings earlier than returning to the majors.
SCHMIDT FEELING FINE
A day after Blake and Aaron Boone hardly appeared involved about Clarke Schmidt’s “barking” again, the pitcher himself mentioned that he’s feeling good and is scheduled for a bullpen on Friday. Like Boone, Schmidt isn’t fearful about his standing for Opening Day following some “general soreness.”
“It’s early,” Schmidt mentioned, “so we don’t want to push through anything crazy and make an issue.”
Schmidt, who turned 29 on Thursday, added that he confronted reside hitters on the Yankees’ participant improvement complicated earlier than his again began bugging him. He has not confronted reside hitters in entrance of reporters but, therefore the preliminary questions on his well being.
AN NRI TO WATCH
Now in his second massive league camp with the Yankees, non-roster invitee Yerry De Los Santos not too long ago earned a shoutout from Boone when the supervisor was requested to establish any standout, below the radar gamers in camp.
Blake has additionally been impressed with the righty, who’s pairing an enhancing splitter with a sinker and slider.
“I feel like he took a step forward last year after he developed a little bit better identity with the splitter and just got his feet underneath him after a tough spring last year,” Blake mentioned.
The Yankees signed De Los Santos to a minor league deal two offseasons in the past. As Blake talked about, he had a troublesome spring in 2024, and his minor league numbers weren’t all that spectacular. The 27-year-old posted a 4.12 ERA over 59 innings.
Nevertheless, De Los Santos ended his season on a robust observe as his splitter took off, recording a 2.05 ERA over his final 26.1 innings.
“”He made some actual enhancements within the final couple of months at Triple-A,” Boone mentioned. “It’s good to see him looking like he did when he finished the season in Scranton last year.”
De Los Santos has massive league expertise, as he logged a 4.14 ERA over 48 video games with Pirates from 2022-2023.
