Phil Hughes eyes Thursday to test his arm

Yankees hurler Phil Hughes may start testing his throwing arm as early as tomorrow, starting off on flat ground, according to published reports.

“It’s tough, I didn’t want to have to go through this,” Hughes told ESPN. “But something wasn’t right and we had to figure what it was.”

The 24-year-old has been on the disabled list since April 15 with what the Yankees called a “dead arm” because his fastball failed to exceed 91 mph. The righty typically throws between 92 and 94 mph. His three starts this season have yielded a 0-1 record with a 13.94 ERA.

He has undergone tests, which failed to detect any serious problems, and even went to see a specialist in St. Louis earlier this month, who ruled out a potentially career-ending thoracic outlet syndrome.

Hughes was given a cortisone shot on April 28 to relieve the muscle inflammation around his shoulder. He may not be back on the mound for another six to eight weeks.