TAMPA, Fla. -- As Deivi García prepares to begin the season at the Yankees’ alternate training site, the touted right-hander is focusing on the positive aspects of his first full Spring Training, believing that the experience has prepared him to make a greater impact in the Majors this year.

“I know that if I keep doing my work and stay healthy, another opportunity is going to come like last year,” García said through a translator. “It is up to me to stay with my work, keep doing what I need to do and hopefully the opportunity will come around again like last year.”

Ranked as the Yankees’ No. 3 prospect by MLB Pipeline, García was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre earlier this week, confirming right-hander Domingo Germán’s place as the No. 5 starter to begin the year. García pitched to a 3.86 ERA in 14 spring innings, making five starts.

“We continue to be really excited about Deivi and the strides that he's continued to make in his craft,” said manager Aaron Boone. “The message to him that I tried to convey was, ‘Stay ready, we're going to need you. You're going to be a big part of this. Make sure you're handling your business down there as far as putting yourself in line to be the guy we go to.’”

Boone believes there will be opportunities in April when the Yankees need to insert a starting pitcher, a call that could go to García.

In García’s most recent outing Wednesday, the Blue Jays belted two homers and Boone said that he saw a lack of life on García’s pitches in the strike zone. García said that there is a rotational adjustment to be made in his delivery, and he believes it will be an easy fix.

“I went through something very similar before I got called up last year,” García said. “I was able to make the adjustment and eventually I think that's one of the reasons why I got called up to join the team. I had some good results so I’m very confident that I can make the adjustment.”

Gleyber Day x 2
Gleyber Torres homered twice in the Yankees’ 5-1 Grapefruit League victory over the Blue Jays on Saturday, also adding a double in a 3-for-3, three-RBI performance. Torres lifted a solo shot in the third inning off Anthony Kay and cracked a two-run blast in the fourth off Kirby Snead.

“I’m excited about where Gleyber is,” Boone said. “I have been since Day One of Spring Training; just coming in really good shape and I feel like his focus has been excellent. I feel like his work has been excellent, along with a number of our regulars. We’ve been able to really build up so they’ve got the proper amount of recovery and rest, but they’ve also built up a nice bit of work.”

Comeback trail
Left-hander Justin Wilson has resumed tossing at distances up to 90 feet and is scheduled to throw from a mound on Monday, representing encouraging developments after the reliever exited his most recent appearance with tightness in his pitching shoulder.

Wilson said that it is “not set in stone” that he will begin the regular season on the injured list, and said that multiple treatments behind the scenes have helped to loosen his shoulder and rotator cuff area.

“It felt like my shoulder wasn’t doing the correct motion; I felt a little guarded,” Wilson said. “A few days in the training room getting reset and refreshed made a world of difference.”

Wilson, 33, allowed seven runs (six earned) and eight hits in 2 1/3 spring innings, spanning four appearances.

Making moves
In addition to informing infielder/outfielder Jay Bruce that he will be on the Yankees’ Opening Day roster, Boone said that outfielder Mike Tauchman will be on the bench as a reserve.

The Yankees released catcher Robinson Chirinos and infielder/outfielder Derek Dietrich from their Minor League contracts, seeming to confirm infielder/outfielder Tyler Wade's place on the bench.

“We’ll see,” Boone said. “We’ll meet again today. I wouldn’t say [it means Wade is on the team] necessarily, but it could. There could be more things in play still.”

He said it
“I think we've been ready for quite a while now. It seems the last couple weeks of Spring Training are tough more mentally than anything. We’re just trying to fine-tune the last couple things before we get to the season. When it's April 1, it's go time.” -- Aaron Judge

Bombers bits
Right-hander Jameson Taillon tossed 75 to 80 pitches in a simulated game at the Yankees’ player development complex on Saturday, according to Boone, who said that pitching coach Matt Blake watched some of the outing. Taillon could start in the first series of the regular season against Toronto.

Right-hander Clarke Schmidt (right elbow soreness) was moved to the 60-day injured list on Saturday. Boone said that Schmidt has not yet been cleared to resume a throwing program and would need the equivalent of a full Spring Training to be game-ready. Schmidt is the Yankees’ No. 2 prospect according to MLB Pipeline.

Up next
Corey Kluber will make his fourth and final start of the spring on Sunday as the Yankees visit the Phillies for a 1:05 p.m. ET exhibition in Clearwater, Fla. Kluber has pitched to a 1.86 ERA over 9 2/3 spring innings. Zack Wheeler is scheduled to start for Philadelphia and the game can be heard on WFAN.