Good first step for Andy, and it appears that he's very close to finally returning to the Yankees. His return should be a big boost for this team, hopefully one that helps them get on another roll and wrap up this division. I'm sure they'll be another update on Andy today with whatever the next step will be, so look for that later.
Pettitte, sidelined since July 18 by what was diagnosed as a "small, persistent tear" of his left groin, felt his four-inning, 51-pitch effort for Trenton in an Eastern League Divisional Series with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats before 8,072 fans at Mercer County Waterfront Park was "a step in the right direction."
"It felt good just to get to a game, with the intensity of it," said Pettitte, who threw 37 strikes and allowed just two hits with four strikeouts.
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"The first inning, I felt I was a little short," Pettitte said. "I got more and more comfortable. By the fourth inning, I was putting all I had into it. I feel fine now, but I know I'll feel sore [Friday] -- I did after the simulated game. It's just something I'll have to deal with."What was great for me was just to go out there and work, because I really have had no work," he added. "When you're on the disabled list and not contributing, it's not a great feeling. The guys [his Yankees teammates] have been great to me, but I want to get back as soon as possible so I can help our team."
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"Since I kept having setbacks with this thing, I haven't done hardly anything in my workout regimen with my legs," Pettitte said. "I know my stamina is nowhere where it needs to be. If I started for the Yankees next week, maybe I could give four or five good innings."
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At 38, the veteran is finding that coming back from an injury is not as easy as it once was.
"I really had to change my mind-set," the lefty said. "I'd do something that would make this thing worse, and whatever timetable I had just didn't happen. I got used to being out, and that's not good."
...Pettitte planned to fly back to Texas on Thursday night and meet the Yankees in Arlington.
"I'll get with [Yankees pitching coach] Dave Eiland and [manager] Joe Girardi and see what we want to do next," Pettitte said. "They might want me to make another [rehabilitation] start. I need to pitch Tuesday, and we don't have a [playoff] schedule yet."
