PORT ST. LUCIE — Ivan Nova has stayed confident throughout a disappointing spring training despite not resembling the pitcher who went 16-4 in 2011.
That changed Tuesday after his worst outing of the spring.
“Today was the worst day of my life,” Nova said after showing no command in a 7-6 loss to the Mets in which he gave up five runs on eight hits in just 2-2/3 innings. “I felt good … but I couldn’t throw strikes. I couldn’t even control my fastball.”
With Michael Pineda out with shoulder tendinitis and Andy Pettitte still likely more than a month away from getting back to The Bronx, Nova has some time to get back to where he was a year ago — but it won’t be indefinite after he posted an 8.06 spring ERA.
Manager Joe Girardi said Nova “didn’t seem to be using his legs very well.”
“I felt lazy,” Nova said. “My body feels like it was sleeping. My arm feels great.”
The fact his arm is fine is what Nova is holding on to now that he’s out of spring training appearances.
“I have to try to get my fastball location back,” he said.
CC Sabathia said a similar thing after his final spring training start, but Girardi said Sabathia’s track record make his less-than-dominant spring less alarming.
But Girardi said he thinks Nova can come around.
“I feel like the arm strength has been there,” Girardi said. “He’s been a little inconsistent at times this spring, but I really feel the stuff is there. … He won a lot of games for us last year and has that in his hip pocket. Up ’til today the ball was coming out pretty good. We haven’t seen a drop-off in his fastball.”
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Girardi intends to get more answers Wednesday when he talks to Pineda about his shoulder and intends to come up with a time frame for his recovery.
“I’m very curious to see how he is,” Girardi said. “That pain could be gone, but we’re not really going to know til he picks up a ball.”
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General manager Brian Cashman said he s confident Pineda’s injury isn’t as severe as Phil Hughes’ a year ago and still doesn’t expect the 23-year-old to miss much time in the regular season.
“There are different levels of inflammation and tendinitis,” Cashman said. “[Pineda’s] seems nice and light. Phil’s was more severe.”
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Dewayne Wise and Jayson Nix both cleared waivers and will be assigned to Triple-A Scranton. They released 30-year-old Jorge Vazquez, who hit 32 homers for Scranton a year ago.
dan.martin@nypost.com