The NY Yankees and Washington Nationals are playing on the Spring Training schedule on Saturday for the final matchup for the Yanks before the season starts and the game is at 1:05 pm ET and comes a couple days ahead of Opening Day.
The Yankees come in after a loss against the Nationals and they previously won against the Pirates and had dropped three springers in a row against the Tigers, Rays and Twins. The Yankees are confident coming into the season despite some big changes and CC Sabathia said he would be fine after getting knocked around against the Nationals.
The Yankees have some questions in the rotation and about who will be the most effective closer, but if things up right, the team could have a solid season. The team has Masahiro Tanaka on the mound for Opening Day and he is coming back after dealing with an elbow injury last year. The teams will play again later in the season for a two game series at the Nationals and then the Nats will visit Yankee Stadium for a game later in June.
The closer role will be by committee at first, but it's likely that Andrew Miller gets the first crack at it after the way Dellin Betances has pitched this spring. Betances was an All-Star, but he has struggled this year in the spring and that could keep him in his set up role for another season after the Yankees brought in Miller. Alex Rodriguez has been a good soldier and a solid player this spring and he has kept things focused on the field and could be a key cog for the team.
A-Rod will backup Chase Headley at third base and he also will be an option at first base and should get some work at DH if he is hitting. Rodriguez has been solid at the plate and that is a good sign for him and the Yankees after the way things went with the suspension last year.
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