TAMPA, Fla. -- Marcus Stroman’s eventful spring included a starting nod in the Yankees’ exhibition opener on Friday, in which he tossed a scoreless inning. Though he does not have a guaranteed place in the rotation, the veteran right-hander said he has “zero” concerns about how it will shake out.
“I haven’t thought about it, to be honest,” Stroman said after exiting the Yanks’ 4-0 Grapefruit League win over the Rays. “I know who I am as a pitcher. I’m a very confident pitcher. I don’t think you’d want someone in your starting rotation that would be like, ‘Hey, I’m going to go to the bullpen.’ That’s not someone you’d want.
“I’m very confident; that comes from how my father raised me. I’m always going to think I can get the job done.”
The 33-year-old Stroman pitched to a 10-9 record and 4.31 ERA in 30 games (29 starts) last season, his first with the Yankees. Stroman was moved into a relief role after struggling in the second half and did not appear in the postseason.
Stroman reported to camp with the Yankees’ pitchers and catchers but was absent for two days of workouts, after which he revealed that he had lost his Malibu, Calif., home in the January Palisades Fire. Stroman also said that he would not pitch out of the bullpen, a stance he reiterated on Friday.
“I was sitting in a room like this when I first came up and everybody told me I would never be able to be a starter; '[5-foot-7], you’re too small, you’re going to break down,’” Stroman said. “Go look at my career. I’ve been doing this for a long time at a high level, and I keep my body healthy. I pride myself on that.”
At present, the Yankees' rotation is expected to include Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, Carlos Rodón, Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt, with Stroman projected as a sixth starter.
Rocket launch
Roger Clemens spent his first day in camp as a guest instructor on Friday, and the seven-time Cy Young Award winner’s presence was immediately felt.
“They wanted me to throw a light ‘pen today, and I was like, ‘I can’t go light in front of the Rocket,’” Schmidt told the YES Network. “I might have had a bit more effort than needed. Obviously, [Clemens is] a legend and I’ll pick his brain as much as I can when he’s around. I’m very thankful legends like this come back around here.”
Schmidt reported no issues after that session, having dealt with what manager Aaron Boone described as a “cranky” back earlier in the week. Schmidt expects to resume facing hitters next week, a necessary step toward pitching in exhibition games.
Cole said he enjoyed tossing in front of Clemens, too.
“That was pretty special,” Cole said. “[Clemens is] a pitcher that I tried to emulate in terms of my mechanics as a kid and his competitiveness. That’s one of the really cool things about the Yankees. We have a lot of great players, so you get to meet your heroes.”
Injury report
Right-handed pitching prospect Chase Hampton has undergone Tommy John surgery, Boone said on Friday. Hampton flew to New York earlier in the week for further testing on what was initially diagnosed as a right flexor strain.
“For Chase, on some level, there’s a little relief for him,” Boone said. “He’s dealt with things last year and then a little bit of an uphill battle, even this year. But he’s really talented and he’s got a chance to be a really good pitcher. This doesn’t stop that; this just puts a pause on it.”
Right-hander JT Brubaker left the game after being hit in the lower back by a fifth-inning line drive. Boone said Brubaker “tweaked his side” on the play and is receiving treatment.
He said it
“Should I really need a $300-plus million payroll to win a championship? Does having a huge payroll really increase my chances that much of winning a championship? I’m not sure there’s a strong correlation there.
“Having said that, we’re the New York Yankees. We know what our fans expect. We’re always going to be among the highest in payroll. That’s not going to change, and certainly didn’t change this year.” -- managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner, who said the team is currently on track to field a $307-$308 million payroll