Yankees Release Lineup for Saturday's Spring Training Opener Against Blue Jays
By Adam Weinrib
For the first of nearly 200 times during this expansive preseason, regular season, and (ideally) postseason, we're officially on the verge of New York Yankees baseball.
The first lineup of the year is ready to take on the Blue Jays in a Saturday road game, which'll be aired on YES Network for all of Yankees Universe to enjoy.
We couldn't have expected an Opening Day-quality lineup, but the Yanks are sending plenty of firepower to the plate behind JA Happ.
First lineup of the spring! #Yankees vs. #BlueJays, 1:05pm pic.twitter.com/iHNuY0O71p
— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) February 22, 2020
LeMahieu, Torres, and Urshela should all be in the lineup when the season kicks off in a month, and the three men behind them, Mike Ford, Clint Frazier, and presumptive backup Kyle Higashioka, have a solid shot to make the roster.
Behind them comes Spring Training legend Erik Kratz, Rosell Herrera, who briefly gave Yankee fans a scare this offseason when it seemed like he'd been assigned A-Rod's No. 13 (turned out to be a clerical error), and Zack Granite in the nine-hole.
JA Happ will start things off, but after he departs, fans will get a look at a fifth-starter contender.
Tomorrow's Yankees scheduled pitchers in exhibition opener vs. Blue Jays at GMS Field: J.A. Happ, Michael King, Luis Cessa, Nick Tropeano.
— Pete Caldera (@pcaldera) February 21, 2020
Right now, they're holding a ping pong tournament as this spring's team bonding event. Bracketed NCAA March Madness style, Boone says.
Fans know what they're getting in Cessa, at this point, but King's nasty changeup should be on display, as well as hometown boy Nick Tropeano.
First of many, New York! Get your initial glimpses in at the pinstripes. You won't regret it.