Max Fried has spent the better part of two weeks getting to know his new teammates around Yankees camp, swapping anecdotes and pleasantries. On Tuesday, those introductions included a steady diet of fastballs,

The time is nearing for Marcus Stroman, who will soon pitch in Spring Training with the New York Yankees in a sort of test to see how ready he is to be a starter. It’s worth noting that weeks ago, Marcus Stroman made it clear that he didn’t want to be a reliever and that his sole focus is as a starter.

Stroman will start Friday’s game against the Rays at Steinbrenner Field, manager Aaron Boone said Wednesday, putting the potential odd man out of the Yankees’ rotation right into the spotlight. The veteran right-hander has not faced hitters since arriving at camp on Friday, but had done so beforehand and will just throw one inning on Friday.

The New York Yankees would love to find a taker for Marcus Stroman and at least some of his hefty contract, and they're determined to give him every chance to show off his worth during spring training.

Yankees right-hander Marcus Stroman’s isn’t looking at 140 innings as a goal for this season to trigger an $18-million player option for 2026. The extra starter — No. 6 in a five-man rotation — wants to blow by 140 into a territory that he hasn’t been to in any of his last seven seasons.