TAMPA — The last time Michael King was on a major league mound, last July, he walked off with a broken elbow.
But the valuable Yankees reliever expects to be ready by the time the Yankees open the 2023 season on March 30, which would provide a huge boost to their bullpen.
“My [velocity] has been back up there, movement, everything looks normal,” King said Wednesday, while declaring himself “100 percent” good to go. “Now it’s really just, the timing in my mechanics, the sequencing of it is a little off. So I want to get on the mound as much as I can. They’re pulling me back a little bit, just to make sure I’m within my realm of workload to not overdo it just because I want to have that feeling.”
King has already thrown 10 bullpen sessions and he faced live hitters for the first time last Friday, with another session scheduled for this Friday. That progression started about six weeks ago. At first, he threw only fastballs, then he added changeups and eventually sliders to build up his workload properly.
As long as King remains healthy, the only decision the Yankees will have to make with him is how they want to use him out of the bullpen. Before his injury last year he served in a hybrid role, often going multiple innings, which helped give the team’s high-leverage relievers some days off. King did so while posting a 2.29 ERA with 66 strikeouts in 51 innings.
“There wasn’t a more valuable guy in the sport before he got hurt last year,” manager Aaron Boone said.
DJ LeMahieu has been a frequent visitor to the Yankees’ player development complex during the offseason and the club continues to be encouraged by how he looks after he opted to not have surgery for the broken bone in his foot that cost him the end of last season.
Boone said he expects the veteran infielder to be ready to start the regular season on time.
Want to catch a game? The Yankees schedule with links to buy tickets can be found here.
“I’m really excited about where DJ’s at,” Boone said. “It’s something that we’re always paying close attention to. But he’s been in a pretty good spot now for a while. He’s been down here for a while. He looks really good, he’s moving really well.”
Aaron Judge filling in at first base during a workout on Tuesday made for a good photo, but Boone downplayed any real significance of it.
“I don’t expect you’ll see him out there this year,” Boone said. “Maybe five years from now it’s something we’re talking about. … It was much ado about nothing.”