If there are any questions surrounding the Yankees heading into the 2019 season — they focus on the starting rotation.
CC Sabathia hopes he put a few of those concerns to rest Thursday as he faced batters for the first time this spring in a Minor League camp game.
Sabathia, who underwent an offseason procedure on his right knee, threw 26 pitches in two innings, allowed one run on three hits and struck out three.
"It felt good. No problems," Sabathia told Yankees.com. "I felt like I was letting the ball come out of my hand pretty good. All positive. You've got to throw the results out and go on how you feel. I feel great, so I'm just ready for the next step. …
"I'm two innings in. Just keep going. The slider was a lot better than it has been all spring, that's encouraging. The changeup was good, the two-seamer was good. It's just finding the lane on the cutter. After the homer, the cutter got better."
Sabathia, who'll turn 39 in July, signed a one-year contract in November and made it clear he would be finishing his career this season, his 19th in the majors. In 29 starts last season, Sabathia was 9-7 with a 3.65 ERA.