Looking at Dellin Betances’ velocity numbers on the left-center field scoreboard at Spectrum Field on Sunday wasn’t encouraging.
The radar gun showed three fastballs at 92 mph and two at 90 during an eight-pitch outing against the Phillies in which he was pleased with his breaking ball and fastball location.
Nevertheless, Spectrum Field’s readings have long been a tick below what the scout guns from behind the plate were clocking Betances at 87 to 91 mph.
“The delivery was good, location good, but I’m still not where I want to be with the arm strength,’’ said Betances, who struck out Bryce Harper to start the sixth inning.
Asked if there will be an uptick in velocity by Opening Day (March 28), Betances didn’t guarantee it.
“I hope so. I think I still have about four [spring training] games. Obviously, not there yet. See how it goes the next few games,’’ said Betances, who earlier in camp said he might not be up to his triple-digit speed numbers until May. “Mostly every spring it takes me a little while.’’
As long as there are no physical issues, Aaron Boone said, he is satisfied that his setup man’s velocity will climb.
Asked if he was concerned about Betances’ velocity, however, Boone admitted it’s on his mind.
“Yeah, a little bit. I do think he’s healthy and fine and just taking a while to find the arm strength,’’ Boone said after Betances’ fourth spring outing. “He said it’s akin to what he feels every spring training but just hasn’t broken through yet. Hopefully this next week, 10 days, he can find that arm strength and build on it.’’
Being armed with a breaking ball and the ability to locate a depleted fastball was nice, but the Yankees would feel a lot more comfortable if Betances can overpower hitters with the high-octane fastball when the games count and historically pitchers add 2 to 3 mph to the heater.
“I don’t know if I would say comfortable because today seemed a little less than it has actually been,’’ Boone said when asked if he would feel that way if this is the velocity Betances is packing on Opening Day. “I do believe once we get there and the adrenaline of real game, we will automatically see a bump up. But building the arm strength is important.’’
Outside of some long counts he would rather avoid, James Paxton’s 4 ¹/₃-inning outing against the Phillies was more than acceptable to Boone.
“Great, I thought his stuff was dominant,’’ Boone said of Paxton, who didn’t give up a hit, allowed a run and struck out four. “Stuff-wise he commanded the top of the zone with the fastball. He is right about where he needs to be.’’
Paxton didn’t put too much stock in getting Bryce Harper to strike out looking in the first inning.
“He is a really good hitter and you have to make pitches. He is just another hitter to me. I don’t put too much on it,’’ Paxton said.
Gary Sanchez took a ball on the right pinkie that also got the biceps on the same arm in the bottom of the fifth.
“I’m fine,’’ Sanchez said.
After going hitless in four at-bats and striking out twice, Sanchez is 5-for-26 (.192) with eight punchouts in nine games.
“Offensively I haven’t gotten the results I want, but you also have to have patience,’’ Sanchez said.
If there is a positive to come out of stud prospect Estevan Florial suffering a non-displaced fracture of the right wrist Saturday when he banged into a center field wall and hit the ground, it is the belief that surgery won’t be required.
“MRI [Monday] to see how long it’s going to take [to heal]. Surgery is not a possibility,’’ Florial said Sunday at George M. Steinbrenner Field. “The MRI tomorrow is going to say how long it’s going to be.’’
Florial, 21, finished the inning but departed for a pinch hitter in the home eighth.
“My wrist was hurting me when I fell down, but I didn’t think it was a big thing,’’ Florial said. “But when I got to the dugout, it was hurting me a little more. The trainer took me out then.’’
Florial, who had hamate surgery on the same wrist last season when he was limited to 84 minor league games, is scheduled to see a hand specialist Tuesday.
“Obviously disappointed to get that news,’’ Boone said of the X-rays that showed the fracture. “But it is a bump in the road and hopefully something that doesn’t wipe out too much of his season. Obviously what he has shown us here in spring, playing well but the strides we have seen are really exciting. Nothing changes there, it’s just a bump along the way and hopefully he can have somewhat of a full season.’’
Jacoby Ellsbury was spotted at GMS Field in Tampa on Sunday when the Yankees sent teams to Clearwater, Fla., and Sarasota, Fla., to face the Phillies and White Sox, respectively.
“It’s good to see Jacoby making progress,’’ Boone said of the 35-year-old center fielder who had hip surgery late last season, a season when he didn’t play a game and who has been working out in Arizona while battling plantar fasciitis. “Just continue to rehab the hip. He is hitting off a tee and playing catch, not from a big distance. Hopefully, slowly, reintroduced to baseball activities.’’
Ellsbury underwent a physical Sunday. He is owed $47 million for the next two seasons.
Lefty Anderson Severino, who is in the Yankees’ minor league camp, was added to Sunday’s roster against the Phillies and impressed with a fastball that reached 100 mph against Harper in the ninth inning. Severino, 24, pitched for Charleston and Tampa last year. He walked Harper, but the only pitch to hit triple digits was a strike.
Sanchez’s defense hasn’t been an issue this spring, but an 0-for-4, two-strikeout performance on Sunday dropped the catcher’s batting average to .192 (5-for-26).
One day after the Blue Jays played four outfielders against Greg Bird and were shifted toward right field, the Yankees’ first baseman hit an opposite-field homer to left-center in his third at-bat. Gleyber Torres also homered. Luke Voit and Miguel Andujar homered in Sarasota, where the Yankees beat the Orioles 5-3.
Today’s schedule: Masahiro Tanaka starts for the Yankees against the Braves tonight on the road.
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