Andy Pettitte threw live batting practice on Friday morning for the first time since coming out of retirement, tossing 26 pitches at the New York Yankees spring training facilities.
The 39-year old southpaw said he continues to be encouraged by his progress. (via ESPN New York)
"I'm pleasantly surprised," Pettitte said about his outing on Friday. "I don't wanna get overexcited, 'cause I haven't done anything yet, you know what I'm saying? But I expect to be back where I was, or I wouldn't have come back. So I'll be disappointed if I don't, and I feel like I'm getting there."
Yankees pitching coach Larry Rothschild shared in Pettitte's optimism.
"The biggest thing for me is Larry just said everything looked awesome," Pettitte said. "He said my slot's good on all my pitches, which is important, 'cause I want them all coming out of the same spot. So that's good."
"I felt like I could have probably thrown 10 or 15 more, but Larry was just like, 'Let's just shut it down, let's just take it slow,'" Pettitte added.
Pettitte could possibly pitch in a game before spring training concludes on April 3, and his target date for returning to the majors remains May 1.
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