LAKELAND, Fla. -- After spending most of his week in the trainer's room receiving treatment for back spasms, Andy Pettitte is more than ready to get back on the mound.
The left-hander will have his chance on Monday. Pettitte is scheduled to throw the first of two bullpen sessions in preparation for a final Spring Training start on Friday against the Tigers, though he admits the spasms haven't completely subsided.
"I still feel it a little bit," Pettitte said. "But there's a point when you have to do something. That's my take on it."
Because Yankees pitching coach Ron Guidry wants Pettitte to throw two bullpen sessions in preparation for each start, the lefty is unlikely to be prepared to pitch Wednesday, which would have put him on turn to pitch Opening Day in New York.
Guidry's demands are consistent with Pettitte's normal schedule; he is accustomed to throwing one normal bullpen and one light session between starts, which likely sets Pettitte up to throw bullpens on Monday and Wednesday.
Pettitte said he has felt improvement -- from the beginning, he has said the spasms have been relocating around his back, a good sign that the situation is not something larger.
"I'm moving a little better," Pettitte said. "I've never had anything like this. If it was something to do with my arm or my elbow, it'd be a lot easier for me to tell you."
Pettitte said he will not know how his command and stuff have been affected until he gets on a mound and throws with the downward slope. He played catch on Saturday and reported no problems, though he has been somewhat frustrated this week with the slow pace of his recovery.
"Obviously, I would love to just pitch," Pettitte said. "I need to be realistic and use my head right now, and realize that I have all kinds of time. I just don't want to push anything and get in a game and aggravate it."
Wang still throwing: With his strained right hamstring lightly wrapped in a bandage, Chien-Ming Wang played catch across the outfield of Legends Field on Sunday morning, tossing for about 10 minutes with Guidry.
Yankees manager Joe Torre said that the activity will keep up Wang's strength as he recovers from his injury, though his projected timetable remains the same. General manager Brian Cashman has said the Yankees do not expect Wang to appear on a Major League mound until late April, at the earliest.
"It's a long way from pitching, but it's good that he's able to do that," Torre said. "Maybe by next weekend, he'll be able to start on his way back."
Wang faces a progression of rehab starts and bullpen appearances ahead. He'll stay in Tampa when the Yankees go north, and even though his strain has been termed mild -- the diagnosis of Grade 1 is the least severe of three possible levels -- Torre said a "quick" recovery could be just the difference of one turn around a rotation.
"The thing is, even between one rehab starts and two rehab starts, it's the difference of a week," Torre said. "You're not dealing in days like you would a regular player."
