BACK IN BUSINESS: Andy Pettitte, who has been on the disabled list since June 27 after taking a line drive to his lower left leg, will return to the mound for the Bombers at Yankee Stadium tonight. (
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Andy Pettitte hasn’t faced a batter since Cleveland’s Casey Kotchman drilled a line drive off Pettitte’s left leg, just above his ankle, on June 27.
Tonight, one day short of 12 weeks later, Pettitte will be back on the mound against the Blue Jays as the Yankees try to fend off the Orioles in the AL East.
“He was his old self when he returned,” CC Sabathia said of Pettitte’s comeback from retirement earlier this season. “When he retired, it was not because of injury. I expected him to come back strong and now I expect the same thing. He is ready to get back out there. It will be great to see.”
But it won’t be easy. Because of a July setback from the fractured fibula, Pettitte was unable to make any rehab starts in the minors before stepping back into a playoff race. He’ll enter tonight’s game — weather permitting — on a pitch count of about 75.
More than many other pitchers, David Cone has an idea of what Pettitte is going to face tonight.
In 1996, Cone had surgery to remove an aneurysm from his right shoulder and missed several months. He returned on Sept. 2 on a pitch count and believes getting out of the first inning quickly will be a key for Pettitte.
“The biggest problem would be a tough start, a blowout inning where he has to throw 30 pitches,” Cone said. “If he is on a 75-pitch count and blows half of them in one inning early in the game, that would be tough.”
Cone, who was able to go to the minors before rejoining the Yankees in ’96, managed to pitch seven no-hit innings before being removed by Joe Torre after 85 pitches in a 5-0 win in Oakland.
“I got off to a good start and was able to keep my pitch count under control early,’’ Cone said.
The Yankees don’t have such lofty expectations for Pettitte tonight, but they would at least like to get five innings out of him.
Pettitte has been pleased with his command throughout his rehab and simulated starts, but he will be facing a unique challenge tonight.
“I know it will be different pitching for real, but all my pitches have felt good coming out of my hand since I’ve been throwing,” Pettitte said. “Hopefully that continues [tonight].”
If it does, he could be back to full strength by the end of the regular season, since the 40-year-old expects to be able to add 15-20 pitches per outing and anticipates making four starts before the season is over.
Cone was back to a normal workload by his second start back and wound up 3-1 with a 3.94 ERA in five starts as the Yankees went on to win the World Series.
It may not be as smooth a road for Pettitte, especially since Sabathia has not pitched like an ace lately. Pettitte will likely be backed up by Freddy Garcia and perhaps David Phelps until he is ready to get to 100 pitches.
Before being sidelined, Pettitte had held opponents to two of fewer earned runs in six of his previous eight starts and didn’t walk more than three in any outing.
Similar control would serve him well tonight.
— Additional reporting by George A. King III