TAMPA — Mariano Rivera is getting close to moving from simulated games to actual exhibitions.
“Maybe a [spring training] game,’’ Rivera said when asked what was next for him. “But I have to wait for the boss.’’
That would be the Yankees committee of trainer Steve Donahue, pitching coach Larry Rothschild and manager Joe Girardi.
“I’ll talk to Mo and I’ll talk to Larry,” Girardi said. “It’s OK with me. I’m just kind of letting him go at his own pace. He’s been doing it for a long time.”
Rivera worked an inning in a simulated game on the back field at George M. Steinbrenner Field yesterday in 45-degree weather. He threw 21 pitches in his second, and possibly last, simulated game.
As has been the case since Rivera started working back from last June’s right knee surgery, he looked smooth and sharp.
“How do you throw that thing?’’ Matt Diaz shouted at Rivera after flailing at a cut fastball. Andy Pettitte worked two simulated innings and finished with 34 pitches.
Rivera is looking forward to facing hitters who aren’t Yankees, but figures he has waited this long, so he can hang on a little bit longer.
“I have waited for 10 months, I can wait a few more days,’’ Rivera said.
“I feel really good, my pitches are right where I want them,’’ Pettitte said following his first simulated game of camp. “Hopefully, keep my mechanics going.’’
PHOTOS: YANKEES SPRING TRAINING
Pettitte knows there are benefits of facing opposing hitters in real games, but he does get something out of the simulated deals.
“Over the years I feel better this way than trying to get on a bus and go and maybe not have a hot tub to get in and heat up the way I want to,’’ Pettitte said. “This has been good, it has worked out for me. Mentally, I feel I can still do this, work like I am working.’’
Pettitte is expected to throw another simulated game before getting into his first exhibition game.
* Phil Hughes’ first step toward returning to the rotation was a small but successful one.
Hughes, who has yet to pitch in a game due to a bulging disk in the upper back and hadn’t thrown a ball in almost two weeks, tossed lightly at Steinbrenner Field. Hughes made 25 throws from 60 feet and was encouraged that he felt no discomfort.
“It was good, no issues,’’ Hughes said. “It’s the first step. It was the first day and I didn’t want to go crazy, especially with the cold [weather].’’
If yesterday’s light workout didn’t set him back, Hughes will increase the number of tosses and distance today, an off day for the rest of the healthy Yankees. Due to the injury, Hughes isn’t a lock to be part of Girardi’s early rotation. Hughes said this week that if he is pitching in games by March 14 there will be enough time for him to get four exhibition starts.
“Obviously, I can’t have any setbacks,’’ said Hughes, the No. 4 starter if healthy. “I have to take it one day at a time and not look too far. I know I need four or five starts and obviously every day I am not on the mound … Obviously I have to take it slow.’’
* Lefty reliever Boone Logan is idle due to inflammation in his left elbow and won’t attempt to throw until tomorrow or Wednesday. He had an MRI on Thursday, which he said was “clean.”
“I wanted to know what was going on,’’ said Logan, who was brought along slowly at the start of camp because of a history of nagging problems in spring training. “I wanted to make sure, check it out. The MRI was clean.’’
Once the dye injected into the elbow for the MRI clears out, Logan hopes to return to bullpen sessions. He hasn’t pitched in an exhibition game yet.
Girardi doesn’t believe Logan’s problem is a result of having worked 80 games last year because Logan only threw 55 1/3 innings.
* General manager Brian Cashman will participate in a parachute jump with the U.S. Army Golden Knights today outside of Miami. Cashman’s involvement is to raise awareness for the Wounded Warrior Project.
* Thanks to six innings of one-run pitching by Adam Warren and Jose Ramirez, the Yankees beat the Red Sox, 5-2, in Ft. Myers, Fla. Warren, the starter, allowed a run and one hit, in three innings. Ramirez hurled three scoreless frames. The Yankees committed two errors and have made 16 errors in 10 games.
* The Yankees are off today. They host Atlanta tomorrow night. David Phelps makes his third start.