Andy Pettitte believes he is ready to pitch for the Yankees, but the pitching-starved team doesn’t agree.
“I feel I’m strong enough and ready to make my next start with [the Yankees],” Pettitte told MLB.com after he allowed six runs (five earned) in 5 2/3 innings of an extended spring training game yesterday against the Phillies in Clearwater, Fla. “I felt the quality of pitches were as good as I’ve had in any of my starts up to now, and I was able to hold my velocity throughout [the outing]. I feel like I’m ready to help the team.”
The lefty will have to wait a bit longer.
“He’ll pitch again in five days,” general manager Brian Cashman said. “At least one more [start] in the minors.”
That means the 39-year-old won’t be back in the majors until around May 10 at the earliest, which is the date the team has targeted for him for much of his comeback from retirement.
And that time frame won’t be affected by the ugly numbers Pettitte put up yesterday, since they came against players who were largely Class-A level or below.
The Yankees rotation has been far from great, but that doesn’t mean they’re going to rush his schedule.
“We have an idea of where we want him to be when he comes back, so the results are kind of a mixed bag,” pitching coach Larry Rothschild said. “When guys pitch in extended spring training against younger players, you can’t worry about it too much.”
“I know [manager] Joe [Girardi] isn’t expecting me to toss 110 pitches every time out, but he wants me to be healthy and ready to go once I’m there,” Pettitte told the website after tossing 96 pitches. “I’m under no pressure, because those guys have a great ballclub.”
If Pettitte continues to progress, Phil Hughes could soon find his own rotation spot in danger.
Yesterday, Hughes said he was prepared to change his approach going into tonight’s start against the Orioles. During his latest bullpen session, Hughes went back to the aggressiveness he had as a reliever and intends to bring that to the mound with him tonight.
Rothschild suggested the alteration after the two watched video of Hughes’ past performances coming out of the bullpen.
“We’ve done that before, but we really want him to get back to the mentality … he had as a reliever that he might have lost a little bit,” Rothschild said. “We saw him do it when he was pitching shorter outings, but he needs to carry it out for seven, eight, nine innings.”
Rothschild doesn’t see why that can’t happen.
“You see it every day from other guys,” the pitching coach said. “I think he can do it, too.”
He’ll have to do something, since he’s had an awful start to the season. Hughes has been fortunate that Freddy Garcia has been even worse, which is why Hughes figures to get another shot, or two, at turning his season around. Otherwise, he could have been the one to get yanked in favor of David Phelps, who is scheduled to start in Garcia’s place Thursday in Kansas City.
“I have to be better no matter who else is out there,” Hughes said. “I can’t rely on anyone but myself.”