Pettitte goes Thursday, probably needs two rehab starts

Andy Pettitte "probably" will need two minor-league rehab starts before returning, Joe Girardi said yesterday.

Pettitte, who has been out since July 18 with a strained groin, will make his first start Thursday for Double-A Trenton in the second game of its best-of-five first-round playoff series. Girardi said Pettitte is scheduled to throw 65 pitches or four innings, whichever comes first.

"I'm looking forward to getting through [Thursday] and feeling good," Pettitte said.

If Pettitte makes two rehab starts on normal rest, that potentially would line him up to make three starts for the Yankees during the final two weeks of the regular season.

Pettitte originally was slated to make his first rehab start Wednesday night for Trenton, but Girardi said it was decided to push it back a day "just to keep him on his regular routine."

Swish returns

Nick Swisher (left knee) returned to the lineup and played a full game for the first time since Wednesday. But he made it clear afterward that it was far from a pain-free game.

"I'm dealing with pain as much as anyone else is," he said. "I definitely need to use the mind a little bit."

Swisher fouled a pitch off his knee Aug. 24 in Toronto. An MRI on Sunday showed nothing more serious than inflammation around the knee, Swisher said.

Slumping captain

Derek Jeter, who was 1-for-4 with a double to the warning track in right-center in the first inning, has five hits in his last 54 at-bats. He said he has liked his at-bats in recent games. "All you can do is forget about what's happened up to this point and move forward," he said.

Extra bases

With Austin Kearns (index finger) and Swisher nursing nagging injuries, the Yankees recalled Colin Curtis to give them additional outfield depth. Curtis struck out looking to end the game . . . Girardi said he will use Thursday's day off to give all of his starting pitchers an extra day of rest as opposed to skipping someone such as Phil Hughes, who is about 20 innings shy of his anticipated regular-season innings limit of 175.