Andy Pettitte Cruises in Rehab Start
by FanHouse Newswire
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) -- New York Yankees left-hander Andy Pettitte began a minor league rehabilitation start Thursday night by breezing through Double-A hitters as he works his way back from a groin injury.
Pettitte allowed two hits in four innings for the Trenton Thunder in an Eastern League playoff game. He struck out four against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats.
Pettitte threw 51 pitches, 37 for strikes. He also uncorked two wild pitches.
A healthy Pettitte is considered crucial to the Yanks' chances of repeating as World Series champions. The 38-year-old Pettitte is 11-2 with a 2.88 ERA in 18 starts.
by FanHouse Staff
Injured Diamondbacks ace Brandon Webb took another step toward his long-awaited return Wednesday, throwing what he termed a "glorified bullpen" in the batting cage at Chase Field in Phoenix.
Webb, according to the Arizona Republic, threw about 50 pitches during the session with team trainer Ken Crenshaw standing in the batter's box, and came out of it feeling confident.
"It ended up being really good," Webb told reporters. "The movement on it was the best I've had, by far. I was like, 'Those are nasty. Those are pretty good.' The location was good. I threw a lot of strikes. It was good, real good." 
Here is what's happening around baseball on Thursday Sept. 9, 2010:
o. After 16 years in the minors, John Lindsey was finally poised to get his first major league at-bat Wednesday night. Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be. Dodgers manager Joe Torre called upon Lindsey to pinch-hit in the eighth inning of his team's 4-0 loss to the Padres, but when San Diego made a pitching change, Torre pulled Lindsey back.
The 33-year-old got into the box score, but his first plate appearance still awaits.
"(I'm) framing it, and it's going on my fireplace," said Lindsey of the lineup card, which Torre gave to him after the game. "I don't have (an at-bat) yet, but maybe one day."
Hopefully this doesn't turn into a quasi-Moonlight Graham situation. Torre said he plans to give Lindsey his first start on Saturday against the Astros.
o. Tim Wakefield became the oldest pitcher to win a game in a Red Sox uniform against the Rays Wednesday evening.
o. At least one veteran baseball writer is tipping Bobby Valentine to return to New York and manage the Mets.
o. Scot Shields may have already pitched his last game for the Angels, but he's still trying to return this year, reports the Los Angeles Times. 
Twins first baseman Justin Morneau told reporters Wednesday he is expecting to return to the lineup this season despite being sidelined with post-concussion symptoms since July 7.
The 2006 AL MVP still hasn't gotten the green light to throw or hit from the doctors yet, but he has begun running, and his progress in the last week has him feeling good about the chances of a return.
"It's been a pretty good week," he told reporters. "I've been running, and it's coming along slowly. That's why I'm still optimistic that we'll be back before the year is over."
Morneau, who missed the postseason last year (a 3-0 sweep in the ALDS against the Yankees), was having the best season of his career in 2010 before he was knocked out. 
Yankees catcher Jorge Posada was unavailable Wednesday afternoon as his team beat the Orioles 3-2 because he was suffering from concussion-like symptoms.
Manager Joe Girardi said the 39-year-old Posada began dealing with the effects after he was hit by a foul tip during New York's 6-2 loss to Baltimore on Tuesday.
Girardi told reporters that Posada went to the hospital to get tested for a concussion during the Wednesday matinee, and the Yankees will certainly be anxiously awaiting the results of that examination. They need only look toward a potential playoff opponent -- the Minnesota Twins and their star first baseman Justin Morneau -- to see how serious a concussion can be.