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New York Yankees left-hander Andy Pettitte is on track in his rehab assignment and may return to the rotation as early as Tuesday if given the go-ahead from the team doctor, reports David Waldstein of the NY Times:
Pettitte threw a four-inning, 55-pitch simulated game Wednesday, his third such exercise, and afterward said, "I’m ready." Pettitte, 40, may feel that he is ready, but the Yankees not yet convinced.
They will send Pettitte to see Dr. Christopher Ahmad, the team physician, Friday.
Pettitte has been out since June 27 with a fracture in his lower left leg, suffered on a comebacker off the bat of Casey Kotchman. The normal course of action for an injury like Pettitte's would be to have him pitch a minor-league rehab assignment. But with the minor league season over, that is no longer an option so the veteran left-hander has to rely on simulated games and bullpen sessions to recuperate.
Pettitte owns a 3.22 ERA and 9.1 K/9 in nine starts on the season. If he does start Tuesday, his return to the rotation would likely bump David Phelps back into the bullpen.