The Yankees received some bad news on Monday when Nestor Cortes had to withdraw from the World Baseball Classic with a hamstring strain, but Michael King provided some good news on Wednesday.
The reliever told reporters that he is able to carry a full workload this spring, and has already faced live hitters as of last week. He will do so again on Friday.
King, one of the most valuable relievers in baseball last season before going down with an elbow fracture after throwing a pitch in July, first began throwing again in November, with the goal always being to be ready for Opening Day. If it continues on his current trajectory, he should be able to meet that goal.
There was initial fear that King would require Tommy John surgery after suffering his elbow injury, but that was avoided, and there is hope the Yanks will get a full season from the righty in 2023 after he posted an impressive 2.29 ERA last season.
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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