Mitre, Joba hit by oblique injuries

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Sergio Mitre and Joba Chamberlain have similar injuries that were hard to pinpoint before Brian Cashman said both are in oblique muscles on the pitchers' non-throwing sides. The general manager added that neither looks bleak and that the concern level is low.

Mitre's situation, though, had immediate impact, and background. The pitcher missed his scheduled exhibition start Monday night against the Red Sox, which prompted the Yankees to start 20-year-old phenom Manny Banuelos in his place. The Yankees are mindful that Mitre missed more than five weeks last season with an oblique injury after taking batting practice.

He said at Yankees camp in Tampa Monday morning that the soreness he experienced when he woke up Sunday seemed to be in a different place from last year's injury.

"This one is up, toward the back, lat area. But I guess everything is connected somehow," he said, adding that he does not believe it will affect his chance to win one of the open spots in the starting rotation. "They know what I can do. I've shown what I can do. I like to think that, from last spring, I did a good enough job to either win them over or put some pressure on them to make a difficult decision."

Said Cashman, "Right now, it's a low-level concern. If it was a bigger concern, I'd tell you, 'Hey, this looks like it can be a while.' Can it play itself into 'a while?' That's what we're trying to prevent. As of right now, the medical people feel it's a low-level thing."

Chamberlain felt discomfort after he pitched Friday, Joe Girardi said, and did not work Sunday as he had been scheduled to do. He completed a full workout at Steinbrenner Field Monday and said he felt fine.

Both pitchers could throw Thursday, Girardi said.

Bus windshield shatters

The windshield of a bus carrying Girardi, his son and the Yankees' coaches was shattered on the way south to Fort Myers when a bird crashed into it. No one was injured (other than the bird).

Distracted but working

Red Sox manager Terry Francona said his players from Japan have been able to focus on their work amid reports from home about the earthquake and tsunami. Bobby Valentine, working the game for ESPN2, said he is trying to organize a relief effort.