Pettitte on the right track to return

TRENTON, N.J. -- Andy Pettitte had a visitor waiting around the entrance to the clubhouse shortly after his start for Double-A Trenton Wednesday.

Zack Segovia, the opposing pitcher, wasn't about to miss an opportunity to have Pettitte autograph a lineup card for him. Segovia understands that the 39-year-old won't be lingering in this league for very long.

In front of a standing-room-only crowd at Waterfront Park, Pettitte threw 81 pitches in five-plus innings, surrendering seven hits and four runs (three earned) in his third official start on his road back to the Yankees. He deemed it a "step in the right direction" but said he's not ready to leap right into the big club's rotation.

"I've got to get to 100 pitches, so I have another start for sure," Pettitte said. "I don't feel like the strength is there yet. We've just got to see how it goes."

He threw 59 strikes, working quickly and varying his pitches. Pettitte walked only one and had three strikeouts. He came back out to face one batter in the sixth, allowing a hit, and left to a standing ovation.

He said afterward that his comeback from a year's hiatus has been going smoothly but the process, at his age, isn't automatic. "I feel good, everything feels good," Pettitte said. "It's just going to take a little bit of time I guess."

Pettitte had a bumpy beginning, allowing a run on two hits to the first three batters, but settled in. He said his command felt fine, which is primarily what general manager Brian Cashman wanted to see.

"Mechanically he was good, and he's getting his work in," Cashman said. "He's not there yet but he's on the right track."

This was Pettitte's first start for Trenton after two appearances with Class A Tampa.

The Yankees received some bad news earlier in the day when tests showed a labrum tear in the right shoulder of starter Michael Pineda, effectively ending his season. That injury, though, doesn't change anything about Pettitte's potential return date.

"Nothing really changes for Andy regardless of what's taking place at the major league level," Cashman said. "He'll be ready when he's ready. So despite what's happening above, there's not going to be any urgency."

Pettitte also declined to talk about the ongoing Roger Clemens perjury trial, for which he is expected to testify.