Girardi wants Pineda to get change working

TAMPA, Fla. -- When Michael Pineda makes his first exhibition start Monday against the Phillies, Joe Girardi won't be particularly interested in the result. Same goes for his subsequent exhibition starts.

Spring training for the 23-year-old is almost entirely about developing his changeup, a pitch general manager Brian Cashman has called "below average."

Pitching coach Larry Rothschild has changed Pineda's grip on the pitch, and he unveiled it for the first time against hitters in live batting practice Monday morning.

Colin Curtis was impressed with his slider but said he didn't see any changeups. Melky Mesa did. "New grip and it's an adjustment," Pineda said. "I feel comfortable now."

"I think it's important for him to work on it in spring training because he's a guy we're not going to get too caught up in the numbers," Girardi said. "We just want him to develop that pitch. And the only way to do it is to throw it."

Cano excused

Robinson Cano returned to the Dominican Republic for the funeral of his grandmother, who died Sunday afternoon. "He'll be gone a couple of days," Girardi said.

Everyone's a winner

CC Sabathia, Phil Hughes, Manny Banuelos, Dellin Betances and Hiroki Kuroda also threw live BP Monday. "I thought they all threw really well," Girardi said. "I was impressed. Some of these kids, they've thrown a couple of times. Betances and Banuelos, [I was] very happy with what I saw from them. Happy with what I saw from Phil and Kuroda as well. Saw a lot of strikes today, which is important."

No beer here

The Yankees haven't allowed beer in their clubhouse since the late 1990s, and Girardi said he agrees with Bobby Valentine's decision to do away with it in Boston. "It makes sense to me," he said. "You have to be careful in this day and age. You don't want people drinking and driving. It's not that you mind a guy having a beer, but when you're at home, they're going to get in a car and drive home, most likely. I think it's a pretty good policy."

First-week rotation set

Adam Warren will start the exhibition opener Friday against the University of South Florida and Ivan Nova will get the start in the official opener Saturday against the Phillies in Clearwater. The order after that will be Freddy Garcia on Sunday against the Phillies at Steinbrenner Field, Pineda on Monday in Clearwater against the Phillies, Sabathia -- relieved by Hughes -- March 6 in Bradenton against the Pirates and Kuroda on March 7 at home against Tampa Bay.