Bombers bits

• Girardi was an interested observer as right-hander Michael Pineda threw a bullpen session on Thursday morning. Girardi said that Pineda is healthy and seems to have improved the consistency of his delivery from two springs ago.

"It's coming out easy," Girardi said. "I don't see him overthrowing, and the stuff [is] sharp, hitting his spots with some sink and some run to it. His slider looks good, his changeup looks good. His mechanics, to me, look much more polished than they were a couple of years ago. He's had a lot of time to work on it and to think about it."

• Vidal Nuno and Adam Warren threw live batting practice early on Thursday morning. David Phelps has also faced hitters, which indicates that they are lining up to pitch in the Yankees' first exhibitions of the spring.

• Alfonso Soriano has the flu and was excused from Thursday's workout, Girardi said.