Yankees' Ron Marinaccio better physically than he was a year ago

TAMPA, Fla. — Among the standouts from a mostly standout 2022 Yankees bullpen was Ron Marinaccio.

The then-26-year-old righthander, whose breakthrough spring training that year set him up for a regular season in which he posted a 2.05 ERA in 40 games, could not keep that momentum going in 2023, though.

Still bothered by a shin issue that cropped up late in 2022 and never fully healed, Marinaccio was mostly a non-factor last year, at least when it came to high-leverage innings, posting a 3.99 ERA in 45 games.

“He really wasn’t able to do a lot of lower-body exercises in the offseason to improve his strength and get his power back, so I think he was kind of playing from behind the eight-ball to start the [2023] season,” pitching coach Matt Blake said Saturday after watching Marinaccio throw a live batting practice session.

“Without having that base underneath him, I think it was hard for him to stay in his delivery and generate the power that he had the previous year. The margins are so razor-thin at the major-league level . . . The velo comes down a little bit and the deception comes down a little bit; now you’re out there pitching naked a little.”

Early indications this month suggest the native of Toms Rivers, New Jersey, might be able to recapture his 2022 form.

“Like where his third pitch, a slider, is at right now,” Aaron Boone said of Marinaccio, who features a mid-90s fastball and an outstanding changeup, his bread-and-butter pitch when he’s right. “It’s had a more consistent shape to it. He’s throwing the ball well.”

Blake said a big part of that was Marinaccio physically being able to have a more typical winter.

“I think he had a much better offseason of work to give himself the base to get his strength back and be able to maintain his delivery,” Blake said. “We’ve seen the velo up in a better spot this spring in the lives [batting practice]. So far we’ve seen much improved delivery and arsenal.”

Ump Boone takes no guff

Most of Saturday’s activity surrounded a half-dozen live batting practice sessions, with Clarke Schmidt, Luke Weaver and Marinaccio among those throwing.

Boone, as he has in spring training in past years, called balls and strikes from behind a screen set up behind the pitcher’s mound, and hitters generally find the manager favors the pitchers.

Rookie catcher Austin Wells, facing non-roster invitee Nick Burdi in the day’s last at-bat, was somewhat miffed at a called third strike.

“It was a strike. I’m convinced of it,” Boone, who has either led the American League or been tied for the lead in ejections the last three seasons, said with a smile afterward. “I missed a couple today, but I’m not having it. I’m not going to take any chirping. It’s uncalled for.”

It brought to mind a scene from spring training a number of years ago when the uber-competitive Brett Gardner took issue with a called third strike by longtime pitching coach Larry Rothschild during live BP. Not surprisingly, Rothschild typically had what hitters certainly would describe as an expanded strike zone.

A couple of months later during an off-the-cuff conversation with a reporter, Gardner was asked to name the worst ball-strike umpire in the game.

Gardner paused, then wryly said: “Larry Rothschild.”

Ferguson: ‘Elite fastball’

Lefty Caleb Ferguson, acquired from the Dodgers during the offseason, also threw live BP Saturday.

“Elite fastball,” Boone said. “Now [he’s] just kind of tinkering with his slider, cutter. Thought today he did a good job, especially with some lefthanders throwing the slower breaking ball to them off of the fastball. Thought he executed pretty well. He’s been as advertised.’’

Ferguson, 27, a Dodgers pick in the 38th round of the 2014 draft, went 7-4 with three saves, a 3.43 ERA and a far-less-impressive 1.44 WHIP in a career-high 68 appearances last season. He set career highs in innings (60 1⁄3 ) and strikeouts (70).