Yankees, Blue Jays to play April 12-14 at Jays' spring training home in Dunedin
Yankees infielder Gleyber Torres loosens up before a spring training game against the Blue Jays on Wednesday at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Fla. Credit: The Canadian Press via AP/Steve Nesius
DUNEDIN, Fla. – It’s all fine and dandy to play a spring training game under less-than-major league conditions, whether it’s wind or sun or a tiny visiting clubhouse.
But the Yankees are going to play real games next month at TD Ballpark, spring training home of the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Blue Jays are not allowed to play in Canada because of the pandemic. So Toronto, which played its home games in Buffalo in 2020, is scheduled to play its first two homestands of 2021 at the home of its Single-A farm club.
The Yankees will visit Dunedin for a regular-season series from April 12-14 (two 6:30 games and a 3 p.m. series finale). Major League Baseball did a good job of making Buffalo’s Triple-A stadium worthy of big-league games last year, but may have its work cut out this year because of conditions unique to sunny Florida.
"It’s way different [than a big league stadium]," leftfielder Clint Frazier said after the Yankees’ 1-0 victory on Wednesday. "Obviously, doesn’t have the third deck. High skies. There’s not a lot of clouds out there. The wind’s blowing like crazy. It’s just hard out there. It’s hard to see because the way the seats have the reflections off of them. It’s a typical spring training place that unfortunately we’re going to have to play at a few times, probably."
Extra bases
Manager Aaron Boone said he hopes Kyle Higashioka (sore side) will be back in the lineup on Saturday. "That would be the hope, but we’ll see where we are the next few days," Boone said . . . Miguel Andujar (hand/wrist) is feeing better, Boone said, but is not cleared to swing yet. "Not hitting or anything yet," Boone said, "but I know there were some improvements from a symptom standpoint." . . . The Yankees are off Thursday, except for Corey Kluber and the three or four hitters who will face him in a simulated game.
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
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