Pettitte's return from rehab has possible setback

Andy Pettitte's return from a fractured left ankle has hit a snag and could delay the return of the lefthander to the New York Yankees— but it all depends on who you listen to.

Conflicting reports surrounding Pettitte's recovery run then gamut that he is right on schedule for a September return according to general manager Brian Cashman or x-rays didn't show the amount of healing that was expected from the the team physician Dr. Chris Ahmad.

Pettitte, himself, pointed to his workout program on the recent West Coast swing that started in Oakland and ended in Seattle as a reason for the slow healing.

"In Seattle, it swelled up," Pettitte said.  ""I did a little too much in Seattle.  Now I'm laying low."

The 40-year old pitcher threw off flat ground with his foot in a boot in Oakland and wasn't seen working out at all in Seattle.

An x-ray taken Friday didn't satisfy Dr. Ahmad's expectations Pettitte revealed.

"Obviously, it's healing up, but it hasn't healed up as much as [Ahmad] thought," Pettitte told the New York Post before last night's game against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium.

"[Ahmad] didn't see the healing in weeks two to four that he saw in the first two weeks," Pettitte said.  "I have to take it easy."

Cashman has a rosier outlook for Pettitte just as the July 31 trade deadline approaches and still believes his comeback kid will still return in September as planned.

"He is fine — ebb and flow of rehab," Cashman said in a text message.

Pettitte suffered the fracture after getting his by a comebacker on his left ankle on June 27.  The Yankees' all-time playoff victories leader was 3-3 with a 3.22 ERA in nine starts after coming out of retirement during spring training and would be comforting to fans to know he'll be around in October.

His competitive spirit and work ethic are legendary and— in his haste to return on Sept. 1— he could have contributed to his own setback— too much too soon.

The Yankees claim they are not looking to pick up another starting pitcher before the trade deadline although there are a some good ones out there— the Rays' James Shields and the Marlins' Josh Johnson come to mind— but these are the Yankees, so anything is possible.