Nearly two years after the Yankees traded for him Michael Pineda is finally getting close to making his Yankees debut.
Pineda threw six shutout innings at Double-A yesterday in his third minor-league rehab start, striking out four and walking two while allowing two hits. He now has a 1.64 ERA, 11/4 K/BB ratio, and .164 opponents’ batting average in 14.1 rehab innings while coming back from 2012 shoulder surgery.
Pineda threw 78 pitches and several eye-witness accounts had him working in the low-90s with his fastball and topping out in the mid-90s. So not quite the overpowering velocity he had before the injury, but very encouraging progress for the 24-year-old right-hander who thrived as a rookie with the Mariners in 2011.
