Several players and scouts have noted that Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain just doesn’t have his heater working right now. For a guy the touched 98 mph last year, yesterday against the Phillies he hit 94 mph twice.

“His velocity was better [in Tampa on March 16],” said World Champion first baseman Ryan Howard, who popped an opposite field home run off of Chamberlain just one batter after World Champion second baseman Chase Utley did the same.

“[Yesterday] it looked like he was working on things,” said Howard, who has more World Series rings than Alex Rodriguez.

Against the Phillies, Chamberlain was clocked consistently at 88 and 90 mph on his fastball. Yes it is spring and he doesn’t want to hurt himself, but that is not Major League level.

“He was very stiff, almost as if he was working on something,” a scout said of the Yankees’ No. 5 starter. “I didn’t see anything all that good. The homers were on 90 mph fastballs.”