OAKLAND -- Before this month, Carl Pavano missed the last 1 1/2 seasons with a multitude of injuries and mishaps. A sore right elbow and forearm have become the newest additions to the Yankees right-hander's unwelcome collection.
Pavano has been informed that he has been scratched from his scheduled start Saturday at Oakland with what he called "muscle soreness" and what manager Joe Torre called "soft-tissue problems."
The issues popped up late in his start on Monday, when Pavano was New York's winning pitcher in an 8-2 decision over the Minnesota Twins.
"It was just a little tight," Pavano said. "I decided to say something because of what happened last year. I thought that was the best way to go about it, [to] just get it out there so they can take care of it."
Pavano said he noticed the tightness in his right elbow area during the final two innings of his appearance at Minnesota, logging his first big-league victory since May 2005. Pavano was economical in the outing, throwing just 79 pitches, but he surrendered a pair of doubles in the seventh inning and was relieved by Brian Bruney for the eighth.
Torre suggested that Pavano's long layoff may have had something to do with the injury. Pavano said that reasoning would make sense, and the Yankees -- for now -- are considering Pavano's setback a minor annoyance.
"We don't think it's something to worry about, but we're certainly going to keep a close watch," Torre said.
Right-hander Darrell Rasner will start Saturday in Pavano's place, with the Yankees aiming to push Pavano back to Tuesday against the Cleveland Indians at Yankee Stadium.
"As long as he feels it, even though it's not necessarily pain, we're going to take the safe way out," Torre said. "We hope by Tuesday that it won't be an issue."
Pavano had been receiving a treatment package that included muscle relaxers to relieve tension since earlier this week.
He threw on Tuesday and Wednesday in Minnesota, part of his usual long-toss routine, but said that he realized the elbow did not feel like he thought it should.
"I'd like to get out there on the mound and have it feel looser and better," Pavano said.
Pavano said that he did not expect to go for further tests, but said he would have preferred not to miss Saturday's start, especially given the state of the Yankees' rotation.
Ace Chien-Ming Wang has been sidelined since last month with a strained left hamstring, while right-hander Mike Mussina strained his left hamstring on Wednesday, with a disabled list assignment still considered to be possible.
"With the way things have gone with Chien-Ming and now Moose, yeah, it's disappointing," Pavano said. "I want to be out there. I think the wise course of action is [the way] we're going about [it]."
