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Carl Pavano set to start for Yankees(Newsday (Melville, NY) (KRT) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) TORONTO _ Carl Pavano may not have left a winning impression with Yankees teammates through the years, but with Pavano set to get a start and the Yankees badly in need of wins, they can't afford to hold any grudges. The Yankees named Pavano their starter for Saturday's game against the Orioles over Phil Hughes and Victor Zambrano. It will be Pavano's first major-league start since April 2007; he has made only two starts since midseason 2005. His four-year, $39.95-million contract expires after this season, and he has made only 19 starts for the Yankees during that time. That's because of a litany of injuries _ the latest being Tommy John surgery _ but many have questioned his desire. Whatever Pavano's past, that's not the Yankees' focus now. "He can help us win, we're trying to win games," Derek Jeter said. " . . . To be quite honest with you, right now I'm not thinking about anything that's happened with him the last 3 { years." Manager Joe Girardi said: "We're expecting him to throw well and keep us in the game and give us an opportunity to win. We need Carl to perform." When healthy, which hasn't happened much since he signed in December 2004, Pavano has shown he can pitch. The year before joining the Yankees, he was 18-8 with a 3.00 ERA for the Marlins. "No one's ever really questioned Pav's ability," Alex Rodriguez said. "Unfortunately, he hasn't been able to stay healthy . . . Ironically enough, we've never needed him more than now." If Pavano can somehow help the Yankees climb back into playoff position, maybe he could change the perception of him at least a little. Though teammates in the past, most notably Mike Mussina, have called Pavano out, nobody did on Thursday. Pavano's agent, Tom O'Connell, said by phone: "Obviously he's very excited about pitching Saturday. Carl's not worried about what people think. He's worried about focusing and pitching for the Yankees. Injuries unfortunately happen. I think teammates are compassionate when it comes to players who get injured because they know that injuries can happen to anyone." Ivan Rodriguez, who was a teammate of Pavano's with the Marlins in 2003, will catch the righthander. Notes & quotes: Joba Chamberlain (rotator cuff tendinitis) played catch again Thursday, but also threw 20 fastballs on flat ground. He will throw a bullpen (fastballs and changeups) tomorrow. ___ (c) 2008, Newsday. Visit Newsday online at http://www.newsday.com/ Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. Copyright ? 2008 Newsday |