New York Yankees pitcher, Michael King, assures the fans of being healthy and ready to feature during opening day.
The Bronx Bombers began their spring training session on Thursday. The pitchers and the catchers were the first ones to report. Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon practised together for the first time since Rodon’s acquisition. New York Yankees’ key reliever from last season also took part in the training, and the fans are excited.
Michael King made suffered an elbow injury in July last year, which ended his season prematurely. The reliever posted an ERA of 2.29 combined with 66 strikeouts in a total of 51 innings at the time of injury. His loss hampered the Yankees’ postseason as the latter failed to get past Houston Astros in the ALCS. However, this year, the reliever has good news for the fans ahead of the 2023 MLB season opening day.
Michael King Confident Of Making It To The Opening Day Roster
27-year-old pitcher, Michael King, made his major league debut in 2019 and went on to become one of the key relievers of the Yanks over the years. King was diagnosed with an elbow fracture after taking a hit against the Orioles in July 2022. Moreover, the fracture ruled him out of the entire season. However, this year, the pitcher is fully healthy and confident of making it on the starting roster for the opening day. King said his throws and movements are normal. Further, the reliever also added that the Yanks’ front office is holding him back for the time being to manage his workload.
King’s return to full health is a positive sign for the Yankees, who are looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2022 season. The team’s pitching staff struggled with injuries and inconsistency last year, and King’s ability to provide quality innings out of the bullpen makes him a valuable asset for the team. Meanwhile, Yankees manager Aaron Boone spoke highly of Michael King and termed him as the most valuable guy in baseball.
Yankees Struggling With Back To Back Injuries
As a few injured players from last season return, the injury list is not getting shorter any time soon. While Michael King and DJ LeMahieu returned fully healthy from respective injuries, Frankie Montas and Nestor Cortes have replaced them in the dreaded injury list. Montas, who arrived on trade in 2022 mid-season, suffered a shoulder injury which resurfaced. Further, the pitcher will undergo surgery in the coming weeks and is likely ruled out for the majority of the 2023 season.
On the other hand, Nestor Cortes ended his WBC 2022 run after suffering from a Grade 2 hamstring injury. The pitcher assured the injury is minor and the step to pull off the world event is just a precautionary measure. This is a massive blow for the Bombers, as Cortes and Montas were a part of the Yankees’ starting rotation for the 2023 season. The front office might consider Domingo German and Clarke Schmidt as the best possible replacements.