NEW YORK -- Staying healthy and regaining a spot in the rotation might be the easiest part of Carl Pavano's spring.
The oft-injured right-hander, who hasn't pitched in almost two years, will have to win back a Yankees clubhouse that is hardly convinced of his commitment to the team.
He can begin, fellow starter Mike Mussina said, by showing up.
"He's been away a long time," Mussina said last night at the 27th annual Thurman Munson Awards Dinner, where he was honored with an award. "He's come and gone for periods of time and he's been real close, and everybody thought he was going to come back and he didn't. He's got to earn some trust from some players again, and from a coaching staff and a manager and an organization."
Pavano's spot as the No. 5 starter is hardly guaranteed either, given his long layoff. Should Pavano flop, top pitching prospect Phil Hughes is waiting in the wings to take his place.
Pavano was due to come back last August but faced another setback with broken ribs from a car accident that he tried to conceal from the team.
"We know he can do it, we know he can pitch and we know he can get people out." Mussina said, adding that Pavano has to "be a new guy again." "So if he gets over those other hurdles, then he'll be an asset."
Meanwhile, Hughes could be make the big-league team's roster as soon as Opening Day, senior vice president for baseball operations Mark Newman said.
Hughes, who last year was 10-3 with a 2.25 ERA for Double-A Trenton, is scheduled to begin this season with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
"I think there's some chance he could make the team out of spring training," said Newman, who oversees the farm system. "I would never count someone of his ability out.
"I think the best-case scenario is we give him some time in Triple-A. But it's not unreasonable that he has an impact this year (in the majors)."
The back end of the rotation -- after Chien-Ming Wang, Mussina and Andy Pettitte -- is up in the air, since Japanese import Kei Igawa is an unknown and Pavano's ability is unclear.
Newman said the Yankees want to limit Hughes, who turns 21 on June 24, to 175-180 innings in 2007.
"We think of him as a long-term, high-end starter for the Yankees," he said. "So we don't want to sacrifice the long term for a short-term need. We'll do the best we can to protect him over the long run."
- Former Yankee reliever Goose Gossage will be with the Yankees in Tampa as a spring training instructor.
- Major League Baseball, the Yankees and New York City will officially announce that the 2008 All-Star Game will be held at Yankee Stadium at a press conference at New York City Hall today.
