TEMPE, Ariz. -- Right-hander Kirby Yates has introduced a split-finger fastball to his repertoire this spring, a new weapon he hopes will help him win a spot in the Angels' bullpen.
Yates, who was claimed off waivers from the Yankees in October, has relied primarily on his four-seam fastball and slider since breaking into the Majors in 2014, but he said he decided to expand his arsenal after struggling to consistently throw his slider over the plate the past two seasons.
"The slider has been so hit and miss the last two years that I feel like I can't rely so heavily on the slider anymore," Yates said Friday.