Colon to face Mets; 6-man rotation ahead?

Bartolo Colon will come off the disabled list and start Saturday against the Mets.

The Yankees made the decision after he had a positive bullpen session before Thursday's game against the Brewers.

"I feel good," Colon, who has been sidelined with a strained left hamstring since June 12, said through a team spokesman. "I'm ready to come back and help the team. My bullpen went well. I'm happy to be back with everyone. I'm looking forward to Saturday."

With Colon back in the rotation and Phil Hughes seemingly close to rejoining the team, Joe Girardi is considering using a six-man rotation.

"It's something we're going to think about as well," said the manager, whose pitchers own a 2.98 ERA since June 10. "Do we feel that a guy needs an extra day off, do you skip a guy just to give him a little rest in one spot? There's just some different things you can do to be creative if you do a six-man rotation. Do you all of a sudden need one guy in the bullpen because your bullpen was fried the day before? Those are all things that you have to consider if you do that."

Friday night's starter, Ivan Nova, said he wouldn't want to pitch on five days' rest all the time but is willing to do whatever it takes to remain with the club. "I just want to be here one way or another," he said.

Hughes believes he's ready to return to the majors, but said the team hasn't told him where he'll make his next start.

Mitre happy to return

Sergio Mitre is happy to be back in pinstripes. "I never wanted to leave here in the first place. I loved it here," said Mitre, 30, whom the Yankees traded to the Brewers for Chris Dickerson on March 25 and purchased from Milwaukee on Wednesday. He was designated for assignment by the Brewers earlier in the week after compiling a 3.27 ERA in 22 games and 33 innings.