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Girardi: Battle For Yankees' 4-5 Spots In Rotation Still 'Wide Open'

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- We know who the top three pitchers are in the Yankees' rotation, but how the other two spots will be filled remains a mystery.

And the plot has thickened a bit this week.

The Bombers have had by all accounts a tremendous spring training. They have hit like crazy on their way to Grapefruit League-best 19-7 record (not counting Thursday's 5-5 tie against Tampa Bay), and their starting pitching, thought to be a major question mark this season, has mostly been pretty good. Masahiro Tanaka and Michael Pineda, the consensus 1 and 2 in the rotation right now, have been solid and third starter CC Sabathia is getting there, following offseason knee surgery.

But the competition for the Nos. 4 and 5 slots is still "pretty wide open," according to manager Joe Girardi. And now there's a new contender in the mix.

Jordan Montgomery, a 6-foot-6 lanky left-hander, has pitched his way into the conversation, especially after striking out eight over 4 1/3 innings against the Rays on Thursday on the heels of throwing four perfect frames in the Bombers' combined no-hitter against the Tigers on March 17.

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The 24-year-old southpaw has tossed 14 2/3 innings this spring, but his 3.68 ERA is misleading. Opponents are hitting just .185 against him and his WHIP is a stellar 0.82. This after going a combined 14-5 with a 2.13 ERA in 25 starts in the minors last season. Montgomery was especially good at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, going 5-1 with a 0.97 ERA in six starts.

"I like (Montgomery) a lot," Girardi told MLB.com. "I think he's got really good downward angle. I think he's got deception. I'm very curious."

Montgomery's emergence has upped the pressure on all of the other rotation contenders. Right-handers Chad Green (1.50 ERA, .209 BA, 1.25 WHIP) and Bryan Mitchell (3.86/.250/1.13) have had good camps, but Luis Cessa, who was thought to be a front-runner for a rotation spot, was sent to the minors on Friday after allowing seven earned runs in his 9 2/3 spring innings.

The Yankees like Cessa's versatility, so despite the setback he likely will be counted on to join the rotation if there is an injury or come up and pitch out of the bullpen.

The real mystery surrounds Luis Severino, who was expected to seize a rotation spot with the big club. Yet, his 5.06 ERA this spring has Girardi concerned.

"Sevvy has a lot of ability, but you have to maintain consistency at this level," Girardi said. "You have to be able to slow things down and relax. There's pressure pitching in New York."

The Yankees are also considering veteran Adam Warren for a rotation spot, but he's likely better suited to be a bridge reliever.

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