Cody Poteet wasn’t someone anyone thought would start a game this Yankees-Dodgers series.
The 29-year-old was with the Triple-A club when Clark Schmidt suffered an injury and, for his first match since being called up, he would have to face Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and the rest of a formidable Dodgers lineup.
But on Friday night, the bright lights of Yankee Stadium weren’t too much for Poteet. The right-hander didn’t give up a run in 4.2 innings of work and allowed the Yankees a chance to win the series opener.
“[Poteet] was on offense,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said after the game. “They were patient with him that first shift and he executed hard out of the gate and then had a quick second shift. We did everything we needed him to do tonight to prepare us and give us a good opportunity, but unfortunately we weren’t able to advance.
Despite allowing just two hits in the aforementioned 4.2 innings, the Yankees’ offense was unable to get going against Yoshinobu Yamamoto and the Dodgers’ bullpen ultimately falling 2-1 in extra innings.
Poteet’s journey has been difficult. After spending his first two seasons with the Marlins, he missed all of 2023 after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2022. He signed with the Yankees this offseason and after initially not making the Opening Day roster, he was called up to make two appearances earlier this season. – both victories. However, Friday was his first time playing in the Bronx.
“It was amazing. Probably the most fun game I’ve ever pitched in,” Poteet said of the atmosphere on Friday. “Very grateful for that experience. It was a privilege…. Not many people can say they pitched at Yankee Stadium for the New York Yankees Not to mention the other team we faced too. It was an incredible experience.”
Poteet credited a good game plan and catcher José Trevino behind the plate for keeping him connected and focused on executing.
“We knew what we wanted to do with each guy and that was very clear from the beginning,” Poteet explained. “I put a lot of trust in him. I didn’t shake much tonight. He just did a great job back there.”
With Schmidt gone for a few weeks and Gerrit Cole still returning to the rotation, Poteet could remain at the club for a few more games. While Poteet’s fate with the club is unknown, the UCLA product says he’ll remember that start against the Dodgers whenever he needs a confidence boost.
“It’s a very helpful step in the right direction for me,” he said. “It’s something I’ll remember and remember because I know I can take certain guys out, definitely.”
