TAMPA — Cam Schlitler’s Spring Practice
On Monday morning, Cam Schlitler took the mound at Steinbrenner Field, where the atmosphere was pretty quiet and mostly empty, as he pitched to minor leaguers.
If everything goes well, he might find himself facing the Giants in their second game of the season at Oracle Park, a place that will certainly be filled with fans and excitement.
During what was the Yankees’ final off day of spring training, he managed to throw up to 54 pitches over four innings in a live batting practice session, which positions him nicely in the pitching rotation to potentially follow Max Fried.
“I’m ready for whatever they need me to do,” Schlitler mentioned after finishing his session, expressing his readiness to pitch, whether in that series or another.
The right-hander, who experienced a slight delay in starting camp due to some mid-back inflammation, aims to throw around 65 to 70 pitches in his first regular-season appearance, assuming everything goes smoothly in his final spring game, likely on Saturday.
After his practice, he felt a surge of confidence. Although the adrenaline for his upcoming first start will be a lot stronger compared to Monday morning, he was pleased with how he pitched.
“I felt good and in control. No walks—that felt really solid,” Schlitler commented.
The 25-year-old reflected on staying up late to watch Team USA’s thrilling WBC semifinal victory over the Dominican Republic with teammates Aaron Judge and others. There were some talks in the offseason about possibly joining the U.S. squad, but those didn’t materialize, as it was pretty much decided he wouldn’t play due to his heavy workload last season.
That said, Schlitler expressed interest in participating in future events, saying, “Indeed. After the work I put in last year, I didn’t really have that option this year. So I hope I get another chance in a few years.”
Looking ahead, Will Warren is set to be the second-to-last starter of the spring against the Rays on Tuesday afternoon and might be in line to start Game 3 of the regular season. He’s been impressive, pitching 16 innings over four starts with a solid ERA of 1.65.
