Hughes takes big step, pitching live BP

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- To this point, Phil Hughes has taken only small steps in his journey back to the Yankees' rotation.

On Saturday, he took his biggest step yet, one that, in a best-case scenario, could lead to his return in a month.

Hughes threw a live batting- practice session before Saturday night's game, the first time he's thrown to hitters since beginning his arm-strengthening program May 13.

"I felt like the ball was coming out of my hand good,'' said Hughes, on the disabled list since April 15 with right shoulder inflammation. "I had no issues. Everything seemed pretty sharp. I was throwing strikes. At this stage, I think that's pretty much all I can ask for. But I've been saying all along, I won't really know until I get in a game, but so far everything's been right where I want it.''

Pitching coach Larry Rothschild and manager Joe Girardi oversaw the 22-pitch session in which Hughes threw to Francisco Cervelli and Chris Dickerson. They said that if Hughes recovers well, the next step, probably this week, is to send him to Tampa for extended spring training.

The hope is to get him built up to the point that he can throw five innings, then ship him to Double-A Trenton or Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre for, likely, two rehab starts.

"But first we have to get to that point,'' Rothschild said. "He'll go two innings the next time out, if everything checks out in between, and then we'll see.''

No one wanted to put a timetable on things, but Girardi said if everything goes well, he thinks one month is possible. That isn't to say there's a concrete date. "In these types of situations, I don't even put a date in my mind. We get him when we get him,'' Girardi said. "Sometimes you can put dates on it and you can get disappointed or they have a little setback and they get disappointed. I don't want to do that, so when we get him, we get him.''

Rothschild said Hughes "maintained his velocity through'' the session and that he looked much better than in the throwing sessions the pitching coach observed before Hughes was put on the DL.

"One of the things you see is he's more animated in his delivery, which tells you that his arm feels better,'' Rothschild said. "I think he's feeling better and the arm speed is better. You can see it in the bullpen for sure, and obviously today, doing what he did.''

With Hughes essentially going through a second spring training, Girardi said there was no reason to put a radar gun on his live BP session.

"We don't do it when they throw BPs in spring training,'' Girardi said. "It's too early to do that. Once he starts getting in games, they'll do that. In these situations you don't do it, and we never do it.''

Which was fine with Hughes. "I'll be curious when I get in a real game,'' he said. "When all the adrenaline's there and there's not a batting cage up. Right now it's just about the process. I'm not a week away or anything like that.''

Hughes, who has been looking for reasons for his missing velocity since spring training, can see the makings of some light at the end of the tunnel.

"There's somewhat of a timetable, I guess, now,'' he said. "Specific dates I can't really think about, but the process has started, which is good.''

Regarding extended spring training, he said, "Nobody wants to be in Tampa too long.'' He hopes to be able to expedite his rehab if possible.

"I have to go out there and prove that I'm healthy and ready to go and force their hand and force the timetable a little bit,'' Hughes said. "Other than that, there's nothing I can really do about it, so I just have to continue to get my work in and make sure I don't hit any stumbles and continue to throw the ball well.''