Pedro Feliciano close to pitching in games

DETROIT -- Experience has taught Brian Cashman to be cautious with these things, but the news continues to be positive regarding Pedro Feliciano, apparently ready to take another significant step in his rehab that could lead to a September call-up.

The lefthander, signed to a two-year $8-million contract (with a club option for 2013) before the 2011 season, has been throwing batting practice sessions for the last two weeks in Tampa and will be set for his first rehab outing "very soon," Cashman said by phone Tuesday.

Indications are that Feliciano, who had rotator-cuff surgery last September, will appear in a Gulf Coast League game Friday. He threw another BP session Tuesday.

"He might become someone who's available to us," Cashman said. "We'll have to see."

Cashman used Brett Gardner, out for the season with an elbow injury that required surgery, as the most recent example of why he's not counting on anything.

"We got Gardner all the way back to rehab games," Cashman said. "But when the games started, it didn't work out."

"I saw him throw in the bullpen and he looked pretty damn good," Chamberlain said before Tuesday night's game here. "He's worked his ---- off. I'm looking forward to seeing him up here."

"As much as you would like to say he's getting on base 40 percent of the time, he's not," Girardi said of being tempted to use Ichiro lower. "If it was three, four years ago, it's probably a different story."

Ichiro entered hitting .240 with a .269 OBP in 13 games with the Yankees.