TAMPA — Jon Niese is returning to the Yankees.
The 30-year-old lefty was released Sunday and signed a minor league deal Tuesday. When they released him, the Yankees said they believe Niese can be valuable when he builds arm strength. It’s likely he will work in the extended spring training program.
In six relief outings, Niese worked six innings and gave up three runs.
Except for a few starting pitchers, the Yankees are bringing most of their players to Atlanta for a Friday night exhibition game against the Braves in their new home, SunTrust Park.
“Pretty representative,’’ manager Joe Girardi said. “We may have a few starting pitchers who won’t go and we may have a reliever or two who doesn’t go. We talked about certain guys needing to throw and they will throw.’’
Aaron Judge isn’t going down without a fight in his battle for the right-field spot with Aaron Hicks.
On Tuesday, he crushed a homer off the batter’s-eye in center off Bruce Rondon in the bottom of the seventh.
Girardi called it “probably the hardest ball I’ve seen hit this spring, of anyone.” It was Judge’s third homer of the spring.
Dellin Betances gave up his first home run of the spring, a two-run shot by Justin Upton. The big right-hander was making just his fourth appearance for the Yankees, after pitching for the Dominican in the WBC. He had not given up a run before Tuesday.
Tyler Wade had another hit, this one a single to right that Mikie Mahtook misplayed. Wade’s hustle allowed him to advance to third on the miscue and scored on Rob Refsnyder’s sacrifice fly.
Jordan Montgomery makes his final bid to impress the Yankees major league staff when he starts against the Blue Jays in Dunedin, Fla., at 1:05 p.m.