Yankees’ Phil Hughes Still Not Ready to Pitch
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Al Bello/Getty Images(TAMPA, Fla.) — New York Yankees pitcher Phil Hughes may miss the start of the 2013 season because of a bulging disk in his upper back.
Yankees manager Joe Girardi has Hughes penciled in as the No. 4 starter, but is not sure just when he’ll be able to start.
“Is it in jeopardy, his starting? It’s possible, yeah,” Girardi said on Wednesday. “I think it’s too early to tell, though.”
Girardi also noted that Hughes is about two weeks away from making his first start of spring training.
“He (Hughes) could probably get away with four starts,” Girardi said if his pitcher was able to throw 75 pitches without any back problems. “So I think it’s possible, yeah.”
Hughes was shut down on Feb. 18 after he felt pain in his mid back during a fielding drill.
“Every day is worrisome that I’m not throwing. But it’s a double-edged sword,” Hughes said. “I don’t want to push this thing and have it become a recurring issue, but at the same time, every day is a day lost, so I’m kind of in that in-between zone.”
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