TAMPA, Fla. -- The pressure is rising for the contenders as the Yankees attempt to trim the competition for their vacant rotation spots.
Viewed as a strong candidate to grab the No. 4 slot, Bryan Mitchell did not help his case in Sunday's 7-4 Grapefruit League victory over the Rays, getting into long counts, hitting a batter and issuing a pair of full-count walks as he threw 32 pitches in a three-run third inning.
"That's just me beating myself," Mitchell said. "That's going back to me just putting too much pressure on myself there and trying to make perfect pitches.