New York Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman says he has recovered fro

TAMPA Tony Gwynn Jersey , Fla. (AP) — m the left knee tendinitis that bothered him during much of last season.Chapman threw 21 pitches during a four-batter simulated game appearance on Thursday, his 31st birthday. The left-hander struck out three, including Giancarlo Stanton, and induced Gary Sanchez to hit a broken-bat grounder.Chapman started feeling pain in the knee last May and went on the disabled list from Aug. 22 to Sept. 19.“I’m healthy and feel really good,” Chapman said through a translator. “I felt normal out there. Everything went well.”He was 3-0 with 32 saves and a 2.45 ERA over 55 appearances last year, averaging 99 mph with his fastball, down from 100 the previous year and 101 in 2017.“It’s definitely not ideal to pitch like that, but at the end of the day I need to do my job and help my team,” Chapman said. “The good thing about all this is that this is in the past.”Chapman was joined on the mound by Luis Severino in the simulated game, played in front of about 20 fans on a back field at Steinbrenner Field four hours before a scheduled game against Pittsburgh.Severino, the expected opening-day starter March 28 against Baltimore Dave Winfield Jersey , snagged a hard-hit, one-hopper off the bat of Stanton at his belt.“I’ve got great hands,” a smiling Severino said.Severino threw 39 pitchers over two innings, striking out Stanton twice. Sanchez had the lone hit — a single — off Severino but also struck out against the right-hander.Sanchez, coming back from left shoulder surgery on Nov. 8, is expected to play in his first spring training game Friday night. The catcher hit .186 with 18 homers and 53 RBIs in 89 games last year, making two trips to the disabled list because of a right groin strain.TRAINER’S ROOMCC Sabathia is scheduled to throw off a bullpen mound for the first time this year on Friday. The 38-yard old left-hander, who is retiring after the season, had a stent inserted in December after a blockage was found in an artery. He also has had chronic right knee problems that have required several operations.CLOCK WATCHINGThe closest J.A. Happ came to violating the 20-pitch clock in a 1 1/3-inning, 38-pitch spring training debut against the Pirates was with 4 seconds remaining to Corey Dickerson during the first inning. At 22.0 seconds between pitches last year, Happ ranked 21st out of 78 with 150 or more innings Rollie Fingers Jersey , according to Fangraphs.NO. 0Reliever Adam Ottavino, who this season will become the first Yankee to wear No. 0, struggled in his first spring training appearance. The right-hander allowed two runs, two hits, one walk and had a strikeout over one inning. The Philadelphia Phillies start a six-game homestand Monday night, hoping to put a rough stretch behind them and close the gap in two playoff races.The Phillies, who are three games behind the Atlanta Braves in the National League East and two games back for the second NL wild-card spot, begin a three-game series against the Washington Nationals on Monday. The teams met for three games in Washington last week.Stephen Strasburg (6-7, 4.23 ERA) opposes Zach Eflin (9-4, 3.93) on Monday night in a repeat pitching matchup from the Nationals-Phillies game last Wednesday.Article continues below ...The Phillies (70-60) lost that series to the Nationals last week, and they have not won a series since sweeping the Miami Marlins in early August. Philadelphia has lost six of its last eight games and 12 of 19.However Randy Jones Jersey , the Phillies were 8-3 winners over the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday and clubbed four home runs. That included the 22nd homer of the season from third baseman Maikel Franco. One of those 22 long balls for Franco came last week against Strasburg, a pitcher Franco has hit well in his career. Against the Nationals right-hander, Franco is batting .318 with two homers and a .966 OPS in 22 at-bats.Franco’s homer was one of two Strasburg surrendered last week in his first start in more than a month. Strasburg, who was on the disabled list with a neck injury, gave up five runs and seven hits and struck out seven in four innings.“It’s a work in progress,” Strasburg told reporters after the outing. “I obviously missed a while, so I’ll learn some things from (this start) and take it into the next one.” Strasburg, who also missed time this season because of shoulder inflammation, will make his 16th start of the year. He had a 3.12 ERA in his 11 starts before the injury but has an 8.83 ERA in his four starts since first hitting the disabled list in June.Strasburg is 10-2 with a 2.48 ERA and 0.896 WHIP in 22 career starts against the Phillies. He has a 1.45 ERA in eight starts at Citizens Bank Park.The Nationals (65-66), who have won the NL East in each of the last two seasons, have seen their playoff chances narrow in recent weeks. Washington is 5-9 in its last 14 games and sits 8 1/2 games back in the division.The Nationals finally found some offense Sunday and are hoping for some carryover in Philadelphia. Washington was shut out in its previous three consecutive games http://www.padresfanproshop.com/authentic-brad-hand-jersey , starting Thursday against the Phillies, but came alive for a 15-0 win over the New York Mets on Sunday. The Nationals scored 14 of the 15 runs in the eighth and ninth innings.They had similar success against Eflin last week. Eflin, a right-hander, allowed five runs (four earned) and 10 hits in 3 1/3 innings last week. It was the second shortest start of the season for Eflin, who has a 5.22 ERA in his last five starts.He owns a 6.48 ERA in two career starts against Washington.The Phillies are 7-6 so far this season against the Nationals. The teams have six games remaining this season, all at Citizens Bank Park.