TRENTON, N.J. (AP) -New York Yankees right-hander Phil Hughes allowed two hits and one run in four innings Wednesday in his second rehabilitation start for Double-A Trenton.
Hughes, who is recovering from left hamstring and ankle injuries, is scheduled to make his next start for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Monday.
With several Yankees officials in attendance, including general manager Brian Cashman and special advisers Gene Michael and Reggie Jackson, Hughes walked two and struck out five against the Binghamton Mets. He threw 57 pitches, including 36 strikes, and had two eight-pitch innings.
Yankees pitching instructor Billy Connors said Hughes’ mechanics looked fine and stamina was the biggest concern now.
“The main thing right now is trying to get his pitch count up,” Connors said. “We wanted 60 to 65 today and he was at 57, and he went down and threw 15 in the bullpen afterward to get near 70. That’s what he’ll get in his next outing.”
The Mets scored their run off Hughes in the first when Corey Coles doubled, stole third and scored on a throwing error. The run became earned when the next batter hit a fly ball deep enough that it would have counted as a sacrifice fly.
“In that first inning, I wasn’t getting out over my front foot very well,” said Hughes, whose fastball reached 92 mph. “I was a little wild then, but after that I think I had a pretty good outing. I just have to work on getting my pitches up. My fastball command wasn’t great, but I know it’s going to be there. And everything else was good.”
Hughes added that he feels no pain and does not think about his injuries anymore.
“I feel like I could (go nine innings) physically,” he said. “If I went from four innings to nine I might be pretty gassed, but I feel like I could do it. It was humid today, but I don’t feel gassed like I left everything out there.”
Hughes opened the season in Scranton before being called up to New York and making two starts. The 21-year-old last pitched for the Yankees at Texas on May 1, when he had a no-hitter after 6 1-3 innings but was forced to leave due to a pulled left hamstring.
His recovery was sidetracked when he injured his left ankle and went from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day DL on June 9.
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