RAIN ON HIS PARADE: Andy Pettitte was scheduled to make his first start last night since an injury to his ankle June 27. But bad weather forced the game to be postponed, and the Yankees to put tractors on the tarp (inset) to combat high winds. Pettitte will start Game 1 of a day-night doubleheader today. (
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The Yankees’ path to the postseason got more challenging after last night’s rainout against the Blue Jays.
Not only was Andy Pettitte pushed back a day, likely limiting him to three starts for the rest of the regular season, they will also be forced to take David Phelps out of the bullpen and insert him back into the rotation — at least for one game.
Pettitte had become used to waiting since fracturing his left ankle on June 27, but admitted this wasn’t ideal.
“Now it’ll be a week since I’ve thrown the simulated game,” Pettitte said of today’s start against Toronto and Henderson Alvarez in the first game of a day-night doubleheader in The Bronx.
“I know we keep throwing numbers out there,” Pettitte said. “I’m interested myself to see how I’m gonna feel, to see how what my stamina level is like. I’ll be able to tell y’all probably about 5 o’clock tomorrow. It’s just unknown right now.”
And uncertainty isn’t what the Yankees need as they battle for their playoff lives.
“For Andy, I am sure it’s not the best thing,” manager Joe Girardi said of the rainout. “But I am sure he will be able to adjust to it.’’
Pettitte played catch yesterday and was given the choice of which game he wanted to start today.
He will be on a pitch count today of around 75 and Phelps was ready to pitch in relief if the left-hander was unable to go deep into the game.
Now, the rookie will be called on to take the mound for tonight’s game after performing poorly in two of his past three starts. Phil Hughes was pushed back to tomorrow.
“[This] would have been my fifth day, so I will pick up where I left off,” said Phelps, who will face Ricky Romero. “If the situation for a long man was there, I would have been ready for it.’’
It’s another part of what Phelps called a “weird” season because of repeatedly shifting from the bullpen to the rotation.
“It’s a lot better shuffling between the bullpen and rotation in the majors than the minors,’’ Phelps said.
Still, it hardly is the perfect situation for the Yankees, who won’t have another day off the rest of the season.
And for a team relying on a 40-year-old pitcher who hasn’t pitched in a game in nearly three months, having Pettitte lose a start could be troublesome.
“I would have loved to have thrown [last night] and be able to make four starts before we got to a postseason game,” said Pettitte, who had been scheduled to pitch the final game of the regular season, but now would only make four starts if there is a one-game playoff to get the wild card. “But you can’t do [anything] about it. You’ve gotta go with the hand you’re dealt.”
And Pettitte has dealt with plenty before.
“I’ve had to pitch before [on a week’s rest] and been pushed back with rain,” Pettitte said. “It’s all about my mechanics out there and just getting in a good rhythm. I think all that’s gonna be fine.”
Everyone will find out soon enough.
“Look, I’m just ready to go out there and pitch,” Pettitte said. “I ain’t gonna lie to you, I’m tired of talking about it. I just want to go out and pitch and hopefully give the team a chance to win that ball game and move forward from there.”
dan.martin@nypost.com