Yankees extend spring training for Hughes

TAMPA, Fla. - Phil Hughes' 2010 role was established last week when Joe Girardi named him the Yankees' fifth starter. Where Hughes pitches the first part of 2010 was finally determined Wednesday.

Because of the number of days off early in the Yankees' schedule, Hughes won't be needed until the second week of the season. One option was to send Hughes down to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to keep him stretched out, but instead the Yankees will have him pitch extended spring training games on April 5 and 10 in Tampa.

He will remain on the active 25-man roster and make his first regular-season start April 15 against the Angels.

"That's what I figured was going to happen," Hughes said. "Nothing unexpected."

Girardi said Hughes would throw April 5, join the team in Boston, come back to Tampa with the rest of the team - which has a weekend series against the Rays - to throw April 10 and be ready to face the Angels in the finale of that three-game series.

Girardi said the innings in the extended spring games won't count toward Hughes' innings limit, which the Yankees haven't publicized but is believed to be in the neighborhood of 170.

"You can manage a game," Girardi explained of why the extended spring innings won't count. "Let's say he goes 25 pitches, you can stop the inning. You can do a lot of different things you can't do it in a real game."

Hughes will be extended to 90-100 pitches April 5, then be dialed back the way the other Yankees' starters have been in their final spring starts.

"We feel this is a good way to get him up to where he needs to be," Girardi said.

Sending Hughes to the minors, which would allow the Yankees to take advantage of an extra roster spot, was considered but the club decided against it.

"There's a situation that could arise where you might need him to make a spot start," Girardi said. "Or you get rained out and they want to play a split doubleheader, that sort of thing. Obviously that's something you could do [send him down] but there could be a situation where we say, hey, we need you. If you send him down, then you don't have him."

In other words, if the Yankees sent Hughes down, they couldn't recall him for at least 10 days unless there was an injury.

Hughes said he's fine with the plan.

"It gives me time to work some more," Hughes said. "It's basically like two extra spring starts. It'll be fine."

Hughes took the loss in yesterday's 4-2 defeat to the Twins, allowing three runs and six hits in 42/3 innings. On a pitch count, Hughes was removed after 88 pitches (61 strikes).

"I didn't think his stuff was as sharp as it's been but I think he found a way to battle through that," Girardi said. "All the runs he gave up were with two outs and that's not what you want to see. But his velocity was good, he was attacking."

Hughes entered spring training with two goals - to emerge from camp with the fifth starter's job and a changeup he had confidence in throwing.

Check and check.

"I really just feel like now with four pitches I can really pitch," Hughes said.

"With those options I'm able to maybe throw some different things that they're not looking for. As long as I can command each pitch, I feel like I can be pretty successful."