03/02/09 6:00 PM EST Wang shows no rust in first game back Months removed from foot injury, righty tosses two shutout innings By Anthony DiComo / MLB.com KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- The greatest praises of Chien-Ming Wang's performance came from those with slightly different perspectives. "He's nasty," outfielder Nick Swisher said, recalling his days in Chicago and Oakland. "I've been on the other side. Anybody who throws a 94-mph power sinker has a good chance to be successful." So it's no wonder that Wang was successful on Monday -- about as much as the Yankees could have hoped for in his first start since the right-hander tore a tendon in his right foot last June. The team feared after that game in Houston that Wang would miss several weeks. Instead, he skipped the rest of the season, finally pitching in Monday's Grapefruit League game against -- of all teams -- the Astros. And so it was certainly refreshing for the Yankees to see Wang breeze through two innings with 23 pitches, the only blemishes coming on two-out singles in the first and second. Wang threw all of his pitches -- 12 for strikes -- and despite complaining that his sinker stayed too high in the zone, he came out of the start feeling optimistic. "I feel good," Wang said. "I feel nothing wrong." From the perspective of Wang's manager, the outing was even more encouraging than that. After the game, Joe Girardi ignored the fact that Wang had produced two outs on the ground and four through the air, a sign that his sinker did not have its typical bite. Instead, Girardi focused on the fact that Wang came out of the game healthy and, apparently, on track to start the 2009 season in vintage form. Yet managers do worry a bit more than most, so Girardi couldn't help but cringe when Wang sprinted over to cover first base on Matt Kata's ground ball in the second inning. But after he looked up and saw that Wang was fine, Girardi exhaled. "There's always that little bit of reservation when they have to make that sudden movement or push off," Girardi said. "But now that we're on the other side of it, I'm glad I got to see it." Wang said he never once thought about the injury, nor about the fact that his 2008 season was derailed against this same team -- which means that the next time Wang starts, in five days against the Braves, his teammates can also quit worrying about the injury and simply focus on how well he pitches. And Wang, if you recall, can certainly pitch. Wang was 8-2 in 15 starts before the injury last year, well on his way to a third consecutive 19-win season. Wang's other numbers were all in line with his career norms. And discounting the possibility of injury, there was little reason to believe he was going to fade. "He was pitching real well at the time he got hurt," catcher Jorge Posada said. "He's very valuable. He's a guy that we need out there. He helps our defense because he keeps everybody on their feet. He throws fast, quick innings. He does a lot of things for us." Posada should know, having caught Wang more than any other catcher over the years. And he was nearly able to observe Wang from that perspective again on Monday. Originally scheduled to catch Wang's warmup bullpen session prior to the game, Posada instead played long toss from about 100 feet, continuing the rehabilitation of his surgically repaired right shoulder. In lieu of catching, Posada started at designated hitter, finishing 1-for-3 with an RBI. He'll DH again in Tuesday's exhibition against Team USA -- a misfortune as far as Posada is concerned. That game, designed to help Team USA prepare for the World Baseball Classic, will give the longest-tenured Yankees a chance to see shortstop Derek Jeter in an opposing dugout for the first time. So Posada spent his clubhouse time on Monday joking about the plan to call for inside fastballs to Jeter, "on the ribs." Naturally, Posada regrets the fact that he won't start at catcher until much later this spring. "It's too bad I'm not behind the plate," Posada said, "to really mess with him." Yes, the Yankees were in a joking mood on Monday, knowing that everything was proceeding according to plan. Their ace, CC Sabathia, had thrown a 28-pitch bullpen session earlier in the day and looked sharp. Their former ace, Wang, had shut down the Astros with aplomb. Their right-field hopeful, Swisher, had made a crashing catch near the foul pole, earning Wang's praise. And though their defense stumbled at game's end, resulting in a 5-5 tie, the Yankees' perspective on the day could not be dampened. "It was great to see Chien-Ming Wang throw today, and it was great to see CC," Girardi said. "[Wang] is comfortable with the way he feels. And if he's comfortable with the way he feels, then we're obviously a lot more comfortable." Anthony DiComo is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. --

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