Yankees prospect Domingo Acevedo back on mound, after 6 weeks out

Acevedo has been healing with a time-honored tradition for pitchers around baseball: pickle juice.

Yankees number eight prospect Domingo Acevedo recently found himself in two positions he had not been in for years.

The 6-7 righty had been sidelined for over six weeks, with a blister problem that he dealt with back in 2015.

He was also unfamiliar entering from the bullpen in the middle of a contest.

But Monday, Acevedo was more than happy to come into the game for three innings in relief of Ryan Bollinger, if it meant that the he would finally be back on the hill in a competitive game.

Acevedo piggy-backed on Bollinger’s five inning outing in Erie Monday, and got the win, as the Thunder came back from a two-run deficit to win 6-5. The victory was Acevedo’s first of the season, which has seen him make just three appearances and spend more than six weeks on the DL due to a blister that ripped open, and a concussion he got while on the DL.

Trenton’s opening day starter was excited to get back on the mound competitively for the first time since an April 11 outing against New Hampshire. He faced the minimum nine batters in his three inning stint, and struck out three. Acevedo needed just 38 pitches (26 for strikes), and his velocity on his fastball was back up into the mid-to-upper 90’s.

“I feel good,” Acevedo said. “I feel good, and I am excited to get back to pitching, which is my thing. I am good.”

This is not the first time a blister issue has hampered the start of a season for Acevedo. In 2015, he began the season with Class A Charleston, but pitched just once before missing two months. When he finally returned with Staten Island in late June, he had no more issues with his finger.

This time, the injury was compounded when the blister ripped.

“From my research, the rip is a long process,” Acevedo said. “In 2015 at Charleston, then Staten Island, it was quicker to get back to my routine. This time, I had to take it easier, because the team wanted to make sure that it does not happen any more.” 

Yankees reliever Adam Warren makes rehab start with Thunder

Acevedo has been healing with a time-honored tradition for pitchers around baseball: pickle juice.

“I put my fingers every day in the pickle juice,” Acevedo said. “The trainers say to put it in the pickle juice. It has helped me. The juice has been good, because my skin is now stronger. It feels better now.”

As for the relief outing, he will do the same on Saturday, when he is scheduled to piggy-back with Brody Koerner in Bowie.

“I don’t know too much about the schedule,” Acevedo said. “It will probably change a little bit. I know I will pitch Saturday. I will piggy-back again, and I will pitch three innings.”

In his 72 minor league appearances at all levels of the Yankees organization, Monday was the first time he did not start the game since his very first time on the mound, June 22, 2013, with the Dominican Summer League Yankees. 

Acevedo also came out of the bullpen for all seven of his appearances in the 2015 Arizona Fall League, while pitching with the Surprise Saguaros.

‘That is my first time relieving since the 2015 Arizona Fall League,” Acevedo said. “I was a little nervous (Monday), because I did not want to start throwing balls, and walking a lot of guys. But I feel good now. I feel more comfortable, and more strong. I feel much better.”

Contact Sean Miller at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @TheProdigalSean