New York Yankees Spring Training Update

MLB.com

The New York Yankees had picture day Saturday at George M Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida as preparation for the 2016 season continues to move along.

With full team workouts well underway, the Yankees are enjoying, with the exception of Aroldis Chapman, a quiet but energetic spring.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi announced earlier this week that he has pushed start times back in order to allow his players to get more sleep.

“We just felt it made a lot of sense for a couple reasons; sleep and early work, so they’re not doing early work at 7:30, 8 in the morning,” Girardi told MLB.com. “If you’re a pitcher throwing a bullpen, I mean, that’s just not normal.

“And if you’re an infielder trying to do work on the back fields, they’re soaking wet, and that didn’t make sense. So we just felt, while we can do it … let’s do it, and it has worked out well.”

In other news, Alex Rodriguez is back looking to keep pace is 2016 with limited pressure, Mark Teixeira wants to play until he’s 40 and Aaron Judge is continuing to impress.

The No. 2 Prospect in the Yankees organization according to MLB.com, Judge, has had plenty of attention thus far including a batting practice home run that left everyone in awe. The 6-foot-7 outfielder belted a BP home run over the scoreboard in left-center field.

The home run left teammates and coaches alike talking, but Judge stayed cool as he admitted to MLB.com that he does not watch his BP drives.

“It just kind of happens,” Judge told MLB.com. “I just got blessed, you know? I’m just trying to make good contact right now; feel my swing, see how everything is feeling. Some just happen to go that far.”

It will be interesting to see what is in store for Judge as the 2016 season approaches.

The Yankees are also still waiting for a decision on Chapman, but sources say the decision is coming sooner rather than later.

Outfielder Brett Gardner is taking things slow, with a deep bone bruise on his right wrist. The 2015 all-star told reporters he was “a little concerned.”

Girardi has also talked about giving infielder Rob Refsnyder reps at third base. Refsnyder, who was the starting second baseman in the 2015 AL Wild Card game, did a nice job for the Yankees in September and with Starlin Castro the teams starting second baseman, Refsnyder could be used to give veteran third baseman Chase Headley days off.

The Yankees will host the Detroit Tigers in their spring training opener in Tampa on Tuesday at 1:05.