New York Yankees right-hander Deivi Garcia looked "really good" in 3 1/3 innings of relief in a spring game on Monday, according to manager Aaron Boone. "It's been encouraging to see how good his stuff's been really since the start of camp," Boone said. Garcia has allowed two runs in 7 1/3 Grapefruit League innings so far. His velocity is up and has credited his success due to an improved cutter. The 23-year-old Dominican has had his share of struggles in the last two seasons, mostly in the minor leagues, but it looks like he may be taking the next step in 2023. Command has been a big issue for the young right-hander, so he'll need to get that in control if he wants to see an extended stay at the big-league level this year.

New York Yankees right-handed pitcher Deivi Garcia was optioned to Triple-A on Monday, but he left the big league club on a positive note. The 22-year-old had a strong showing this spring. He pitched five innings and allowed just three hits, no walks and one earned run while striking out two. Most notably, he showed improved velocity. His fastball saw an average velocity of 95.5 mph, up from 92.2 mph during his stint in the majors last year. The pitch topped out at 96.8 mph this spring. Garcia was a train-wreck at both Triple-A and in the majors last year. Over 90.2 innings at Triple-A in 2021, he had an ugly 6.85 ERA that was heavily due to his 6.8 BB/9 average.