Spring Training Game 14: Yankees at Nationals

By: Gavin Ewbank | Lead Writer

CC Sabathia is back on the mound for his second start of the spring today when he faces the Washington Nationals today in Viera, Florida.

Sabathia threw a simulated game for the Yankees on Thursday -- the day that Masahiro Tanaka faced the Phillies -- and everything went fine there, as you would have hoped for.

It's been the same old story surrounding Sabathia this spring: his lost velocity, which he has been dealign with for the past year now since undergoing elbow surgery last offseason. Sabathia says that it is what is it is, and that he's not worried about it, but it's going to be very difficult for him to be an ace without his high-90's velocity.

CC made his spring debit against the Phillies a couple of weeks ago and looked good in the outing. Of course everyone was watching his velo, but he did throw two scoreless innings to start the game.

Normally, facing the Nationals would be a game that you could take more seriously when judging his outing, but the Nats decided to keep out most of the regulars for this game, making it an easier lineup for Sabathia to maneuver through this afternoon.

Today's lineup vs Washington:

Today's lineup vs WAS: Ellsbury CF, Gardner LF, Teixeira 1B, McCann C, Sizemore 2B, Nunez SS, Anna 3B, Romine DH, Almonte RF. Sabathia LHP.
— Gavin Ewbank (@GavinEwbank) March 11, 2014

I might be wrong in saying this, but I'm pretty sure that today will be the first time this spring that Brett Gardner and Jacoby Ellsbury will be playing side-by-side in the outfield together. Joe Girardi slotted them next to each other in the lineup, so the Yankees will have a lot of speed on display today.

As the continue to, what I can only assume, show off their catching depth for a possible trade, the Yankees have Austin Romine as the DH today with Brian McCann behind the plate.

Today’s second string: C Gary Sanchez, 1B Francisco Arcia, 2B Corban Joseph, SS Yangervis Solarte, 3B Zelous Wheeler, LF Antoan Richardson, CF Mason Williams, RF Ramon Flores, DH Pete O’Brien.

Today’s scheduled relievers: Cesar Cabral, Fred Lewis, Matt Daley, Brian Gordon, Jim Miller and David Herndon (Dellin Betances, Chase Whitley, Mark Montgomery and Danny Burawa are also making the trip).

This game won't be on YES today, but you can catch it on MLB Network.

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