YANKEE NOTES
OAKLAND – When it comes to Carl Pavano’s health, the Yankees will enjoy the upswings as they come.
GM Brian Cashman was pleased that Dr. Robert Watkins doesn’t need Pavano to fly to L.A. to have his sore butt examined. When Pavano feels well enough, he can resume throwing off a mound, something he hasn’t done since March 30, two days after suffering the injury fielding a ball.
“Watkins said for Carl to continue his physical therapy, and when he is ready to go to get back on the mound,” Cashman said. “There was nothing from the [MRI exam] that [Watkins] felt was causing pain.”
The Yankees sent Watkins results from the March 30 MRI because it was Watkins who examined Pavano before camp opened, when he was complaining of a lower back problem.
After Watkins called the Yankees’ training staff in Tampa, Pavano was cleared to play catch on flat ground for 10 minutes yesterday.
“Dr. Watkins is very optimistic he will be back,” Cashman said. “I just don’t know when.”
Before Pavano suffered the latest setback, the Yankees were pointing at the end of this month or early May for him joining the rotation. Now, Cashman is in the dark.
“I can’t guess that,” Cashman said. “Today was good news, especially when Watkins was optimistic.
“It definitely feels better,” said Pavano, who was going to start the year on the disabled list in order to build arm strength after a back injury cost him all but the final week of spring training.
After giving him $40 million for four years following the 2004 season Pavano has been a major disappointment due to injury. He didn’t pitch in the second half last year due to a shoulder problem that didn’t require surgery. He was 4-6 with a 4.77 ERA in 17 starts. Then the back problem cost him most of spring training and now he is dealing with a sore butt.
“It’s been a nightmare,” Pavano said.
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Joe Torre cancelled today’s workout in Anaheim and will hold a voluntary batting practice tomorrow afternoon before the Yankees open a three-game series against the Angels.
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Kelly Stinnett will catch Randy Johnson Saturday. The move isn’t being made because Johnson and Jorge Posada didn’t work well Monday night; they did. Torre was going to give Posada one of the three games off and decided to catch him tomorrow night with Shawn Chacon and Sunday with Mike Mussina.
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Scott Proctor wanted no part of making excuses for him not pitching well in the ninth inning of Tuesday night’s 4-3 loss to the A’s.
While there was certainly multiple reasons for Proctor to be distracted, he didn’t use any of them to explain the defeat.
First, his infant daughter, Mary Elizabeth, was treated for a heart problem over the weekend and that forced Proctor to remain in Florida when the Yankees went to Phoenix. Second, he hadn’t been on a mound since March 28, exactly a week from Tuesday night, until he threw a 22-pitch bullpen session in the afternoon. Third, Proctor traveled cross-country Monday night.
“It had nothing to do with it,” Proctor said. “You have to execute your pitches regardless. There is no excuse for not getting it done. You got to make your pitches.”