TAMPA — Luis Severino was supposed to get a final tune-up on Saturday ahead of his Opening Day assignment, but that went to Masahiro Tanaka because Severino will open the season on the injured list.
“I am ready,’’ Tanaka said after throwing two scoreless innings against the Blue Jays on Saturday at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
Tanaka will make his fourth straight Opening Day start on Thursday against the putrid Orioles at Yankee Stadium, and clicked off reasons he is ready for the prestigious assignment.
“Being able to work on certain situations. I got into various situations throughout spring training, so just being able to go through them with the quality of pitches,’’ Tanaka said during Saturday’s 7-3 loss. “I am pretty happy where I am with them.’’
The Yankees are fortunate to have veterans James Paxton and J.A. Happ to team with Tanaka. That will soften the blow of losing Severino until at least May.
“I can’t be feeling pressure when I go to the mound. I have to do my job,’’ Tanaka said. “But it is a big blow, not having Severino at the start of the season.’’
Aroldis Chapman reached 95 mph with his fastball Saturday, but for the most part it was in the low 90s, which didn’t alarm manager Aaron Boone, who watched Dellin Betances’ drop in velocity lead to an IL stint.
“I think just today was probably low 90s,’’ Boone said of his closer. “I think part of it was when we went to West Palm for a couple of days he stayed back and threw in a minor league game.
“We went a couple of innings with him to just build him up. I think he is probably a little fatigued today.’’
Chapman walked two and gave up a hit in one-third of an inning.
Stephen Tarpley has come a long way from his major league debut, when he gave up three runs and three hits in an inning.
The lefty reliever rebounded to string together nine regular-season performances and has followed that with a brilliant exhibition season that puts him on the cusp of making the Yankees’ Opening Day roster.
“That thought crosses everybody’s mind, obviously here to make the team. I am not going to lie and say it’s not, but it’s not what I am playing for,’’ said Tarpley , who was named the 2019 James P. Dawson Award winner on Saturday.
The award is given to the most outstanding rookie in spring training and voted on by the writers.
“I play to be my best and whenever called be ready,’’ he said.
The 26-year-old Tarpley, who was acquired from the Pirates in 2016 for Ivan Nova, didn’t give up a run in 11 ¹/₃ innings over 10 games. The LA native made his big-league debut last Sept. 2 against the Tigers and gave up three runs, three hits and a walk in one inning.
But across the next nine appearances Tarpley didn’t allow a run, gave up three hits, fanned 12 and walked four.
He made a postseason appearance against the Red Sox in the ALDS and surrendered three runs and four hits in an inning of Game 3 which the Red Sox won, 16-1.
Severino played catch from 90 feet Saturday as he makes his way back from an inflamed right rotator cuff.
Gleyber Torres’ torrid spring continued with a three-run homer as he played short for four innings. Torres has four homers and 10 RBIs in 18 games.
Top prospect Estevan Florial, lefty Nestor Cortes and righty David Hale were reassigned to minor league camp. Florial will be placed on the IL with a fractured right wrist.
Gio Gonzalez didn’t necessarily think his first outing as a Yankee was a disaster, but the numbers beg to differ. In two innings the lefty who signed a minor league contract early last week gave up five runs (four earned), four hits and walked two.
When two base runners score on a sacrifice fly to right field it gets attention. Minor leaguer Isiah Gilliam caught a fly ball in the ninth and runners scored from second and third.
Sunday’s schedule: The Florida portion of the Yankees’ spring training ends with the Yankees in Fort Myers to play the Twins. Paxton, the team’s second-game starter, goes for the Yankees.
