Aching shoulder forces Pettitte to miss start
Photo credit: David L. Pokress | Andy Pettitte was scratched from Wednesday night's start with "fatigue and achiness" in his pitching shoulder.
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After complaining of "fatigue and achiness" in his pitching shoulder, Andy Pettitte has been scratched from his start Wednesday against the Blue Jays, Joe Girardi announced Monday.
Pettitte has been told to rest his arm until this weekend, when he will throw a bullpen session. If that goes well, he will start against the Angels in Anaheim on Monday, giving him nine days' rest.
"It's a concern," Girardi said of the pain, adding that the team was hoping to "nip this as soon as we can."
Chad Gaudin will start in Pettitte's place Wednesday.
One reason it is a concern is that Pettitte was hampered by shoulder problems for the second half of the 2008 season. Pettitte was fine this season until his last start, Friday in Baltimore, when he started feeling a "dull ache" in the shoulder.
"I'm not worried," Pettitte said Tuesday. "I guess the doctor said I'm kind of fatigued out. I didn't think it was hurting that much."
The arm hasn't bothered Pettitte since Friday. He did visit a doctor, but he hasn't had an MRI. He said he has continued to throw this week and hasn't felt any pain. But after discussing it with Girardi, it was decided he would skip tonight's start as a precaution.
"I'm confident that this will work," Girardi said. "If it doesn't, we might have to sit him another 10 days."
It's understandable that the Yankees have decided to take the cautious approach when it comes to Pettitte's shoulder. Last year, they didn't and the results were not good.
Pettitte had been pain-free this season, throwing 1781/3 innings in 29 starts. With a 13-6 record and 4.14 ERA, he has been the Yankees' second most dependable starter, behind CC Sabathia. With the team already having some concern about its rotation heading into the postseason, Pettitte's absence could really impact the team. It would be forced to rely upon the inconsistent A.J. Burnett and Joba Chamberlain, who was ticketed for the bullpen.
"I want to make my starts," Pettitte said, "but I definitely don't want to be standing on the mound in a postseason game or a game in a year that might matter with my arm aching a little bit."
He said he can't remember how his pain started last season.
"This is not like last year," the 37-year-old lefthander said. "All I can remember last year is at the end of the year, it hurt to do anything. Right now, it doesn't hurt to do anything at all. I know I could make my start Wednesday, and it wouldn't hurt when I started the game. But I don't know if it would fatigue out. They just think with the rest and missing a start that things should clear up."
