TAMPA, Fla. -- Yankees prospect T.J. Sikkema boasts the ability to vary his arm angle in a fashion that has reminded some club officials of a left-handed Orlando Hernandez, but in all of his years pitching in the big leagues, “El Duque” never attempted a delivery quite like this.

With baseball on pause due to the coronavirus pandemic, Sikkema has been spending his time handling groceries and takeout food as a driver for DoorDash, according to The Des Moines Register. The 21-year-old Sikkema is rated as the Yankees’ No. 17 prospect by MLB Pipeline.

Since the majority of his nearly $2 million signing bonus is still intact, in addition to the $400 per week that the Yankees are continuing to pay their Minor Leaguers, Sikkema said that he is offering the delivery tips -- typically $15 to $25 per hour -- to his girlfriend Amanda Brainerd, who is starting an online grad program at Kansas State to become a registered dietitian.

"The first couple of times were a little stressful, just trying to figure out the whole directions thing and how it's the best way to do that," Sikkema told the newspaper. "But now that we have it figured out, it's actually pretty fun."

Sikkema was expected to make his full-season debut this summer after being selected 38th overall in the 2019 Draft, a supplemental first-round pick acquired in the trade that sent right-hander Sonny Gray to the Reds. Sikkema signed for $1,949,800 and appeared in four games for Class A Advanced Staten Island, posting a 0.84 ERA with 13 strikeouts in 10 2/3 innings.

The hurler said that he felt there was “a lot to prove” on the mound in 2020, but those plans were altered when baseball shut down in March. Two Yankees Minor Leaguers tested positive for COVID-19, prompting Sikkema and his teammates to self-quarantine in their Tampa apartments and hotel rooms for two weeks.

After that, Sikkema returned home to Iowa, where he is living with his parents. When he’s not ferrying orders from restaurants like Buffalo Wild Wings and Chipotle Mexican Grill in his Ford pickup truck, Sikkema has been working out at home and throwing bullpen sessions twice a week at a nearby complex.

"It's not all about the money," Sikkema said. "It's a little bit about getting out, and it's a little bit about just trying to help people."