CLEARWATER, Fla. — Damaso Marte’s first outing of the spring started badly and ended with a scare that forced him out of the game.
Marte, the only reliable lefty in Yankees manager Joe Girardi’s bullpen, was drilled in the lower back by a Ryan Howard liner in the fifth inning yesterday. Marte bent at the waist for a while and was walked off the field by trainer Steve Donohue and Girardi.
“It hurts right now, but it’s OK,” Marte said in the clubhouse during a 6-2 Yankees’ loss to the Phillies at Bright House Field. “It’s good.”
“It wasn’t near the vertebrae, but he will be sore,” Girardi said. “He is supposed to throw [tomorrow]. We will see.”
Marte missed 3½ months last year with left shoulder inflammation, but was very good in the postseason. After the Yankees dealt Phil Coke to Detroit and Mike Dunn to Atlanta, the only other left-hander Girardi has is Boone Logan, who came from the Braves with a solid arm but control problems.
Marte was greeted by Jimmy Rollins’ infield single, Shane Victorino’s single to right and Jayson Werth’s three-run homer. Howard then smoked Marte in the back.
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According to a scout who watched Andy Pettitte throw yesterday, the veteran left-hander shouldn’t think about retiring soon.
“He threw a 3-2 change-up for a strikeout that was outstanding. The way he pitched today, he can pitch for another two or three more years,” the scout said.
Pettitte, 38 in June, has taken year by year for the past several seasons. In four innings against the Phillies, he gave up two runs, five hits issued a walk and fanned four.
“Everything was really good,” Pettitte said of his first real game action since two simulated games to start the spring. “I was happy with my command. All in all it was just good. I felt really good with my mechanics.”
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Alex Rodriguez simply shook his head side-to-side when asked if there was anything new with the feds wanting to talk to him about Dr. Anthony Galea.
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Chan Ho Park will make his spring debut tonight against the Rays.