Yankees’ Ryan Weathers flashes in first live batting practice, but must overcome a major hurdle

TAMPA – Ryan Weathers isn’t exactly in his first camp as a member of the Yankees.

The newly acquired southpaw came out and pumped up the heat in his first live batting practice since the start of spring training, regularly hitting 97 and 98 mph with his fastball Sunday afternoon at Steinbrenner Field.

These kinds of numbers aren’t often seen on a radar gun in mid-February when pitchers are coming up, but Weathers indicated this has been the norm for him over the past few springs.

“I don’t feel like I’m trying to throw hard, so I think my delivery is in a good place right now,” he said. “I think everything fits very well. Hopefully I keep throwing like that.”

Weathers, who threw two simulated innings and about 35 pitches, averaged 93.9 mph with his fastball during last year’s regular season with the Marlins, who traded him to the Yankees for four prospects in January.

Of course, the biggest hurdle for the 26-year-old to be able to fully show that stuff is staying healthy.

He missed time last season with a lat and flexor strain, so the Yankees are aware that they have carefully built him up to have him available for the start of the season, when he will look to hold down the fort in the absence of Carlos Rodón, Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt.

“I feel like he’s in a really good place physically as far as the work he’s put in over the winter,” manager Aaron Boone said. “I remain excited about him. I think he’s in a really good place for us.”

The Yankees believe that if Weathers is healthy, they can help take his game to another level.

He has been working on a new two-seam fastball to give him a new weapon against left-handed hitters, and he said the few he threw in Sunday’s session felt good — with about 19 to 20 inches of travel.

The other main focus in the pitching department since his arrival has been more of a change in approach.

“I think I just trust my stuff in the middle of the board,” Weathers said. “I’ve got stuff moving everywhere, so it’s just about getting in the zone and getting my stuff playing in the zone. The more I can get an advantage that counts, I’ll be able to get more outs.”