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New York Yankees: Yankees right-hander Chien-Ming Wang felt discomfort in his right hamstring during light running Friday. Wang, who tied for first in the AL with 19 wins last season, underwent treatment afterward, and Yankees manager Joe Torre was hopeful the injury wasn't serious.

"I've had no emergency calls," Torre said after the Yankees' 3-2 win against Pittsburgh in Bradenton, Fla.

Andy Pettitte, another candidate to start on Opening Day for the Yankees, played catch for the first time since experiencing back spasms earlier in the week. Pettitte had been shut down since getting hurt while working out Monday. He still has some minor stiffness but continues to improve.

"Definitely feeling better every day," Pettitte said. "I feel a lot better."

Torre said Pettitte needs just one more spring training start to be ready for the regular season.

"It's much better," Torre said. "It's not all out of there yet. If he gets one more start, even if it's a week from today, it's fine. Hopefully we can get there."

Pettitte expects to break camp with the team.

Elsewhere in the Grapefruit League:

New York Mets: Orlando Hernandez picked a perfect time for his best performance of spring training. Hernandez allowed three hits and one unearned run in six innings to lead the Mets past the Cardinals 2-1 on Friday. Hernandez struck out five, walked three and lowered his spring ERA from 10.50 to 5.25.

"It's significant because we're getting close to breaking camp," Mets manager Willie Randolph said of Hernandez's effort. "I was happy with his performance. He looks like he's ready."

Tatis agrees to deal: Infielder Fernando Tatis, released March 14 by the Dodgers, agreed to a minor-league contract with the Mets. Tatis went 1-for-17 this spring with the Dodgers.

Minnesota Twins: Starting catcher Joe Mauer arrived to the ballpark and appeared to be walking just fine, but he will be held out of action for the next few days because of a stress reaction in his left leg. He will be reevaluated on Monday.

Twins make moves: The Twins optioned right-hander Scott Baker, infielder Alexi Casilla and outfielder Garrett Jones to Triple-A Rochester on Friday. That leaves 28 players in camp, with 13 more cuts to go before the regular season begins.

Houston Astros: Roy Oswalt prepared for his fifth consecutive Opening Day start with six scoreless innings. Oswalt limited the Indians to three hits in the Astros' 6-2 victory Friday night.

Oswalt allowed a first-inning double by Jason Michaels, who was later thrown out at home plate by Houston right fielder Luke Scott. That double was the only extra-base hit off Oswalt, who struck out five and walked two. He retired the last eight batters he faced.

During the game, Houston third baseman Morgan Ensberg, who was hit on the leg by a batted ball Thursday, suffering a bruised knee, was also hit in the lower back by a pitch.

Sauerbeck's future uncertain: Left-hander Scott Sauerbeck has not yet told the club if he will accept his minor-league assignment or ask for his release.

Cleveland Indians: Left-hander C.C. Sabathia pitched in a minor-league game for Triple-A Buffalo on Friday, striking out nine in six shutout innings.

Fehr meets with players: Major League Baseball Players Association executive director Donald Fehr met with Indians players for about two hours before Friday's game.

Pittsburgh Pirates: Jose Bautista was chosen Friday as the Pirates' starting third baseman, a move that sends three-year starting infielder Jose Castillo to the bench and means NL batting champion Freddy Sanchez will open the season at second base.

Pirates manager Jim Tracy, frustrated that Castillo hasn't responded to his repeated requests to become more disciplined at the plate and mentally involved in the game defensively, said it is up to Castillo how long he remains on the bench.

"We want these players with the Pittsburgh Pirates to understand that mediocrity is not what we're striving for here," Tracy said. "We're not looking for that. We want a lot more than that."

Because the 26-year-old Castillo hasn't responded to the Pirates' pleadings to change his approach, Tracy said, "the message had to be changed."

Castillo, who jumped from Double-A into the Pirates' lineup as a rookie in 2004, was also criticized in the offseason by shortstop Jack Wilson for not staying in shape and being lazy in the field. Castillo reported to spring training about 10 to 15 pounds lighter than he was last season, but Tracy said he hasn't seen enough progress in Castillo's approach or his play. Still, Tracy said it would be easy for Castillo to get his job back -- play better.

"Performance is everything," Tracy said. "You have to make sure the person that you're talking to hears it loud and clear and that there's a serious intimation to what's being said. You're hopeful that at some point and time he realizes that."

Sanchez return uncertain: What is keeping Sanchez out of the Pirates' lineup as spring training winds down is a troublesome strained right knee ligament that is preventing him from running at full speed. The injury was supposed to be a minor one when he was hurt turning a double play on March 6 -- a day-to-day proposition -- but it's been 2½ weeks and he's not yet ready.

"It's frustrating. It's very disappointing, and I'd be lying if I said it wasn't," Sanchez said Friday.

The Pirates aren't ready to say the injury may jeopardize Sanchez's status for Opening Day on April 2 in Houston. Even if he returns the middle of next week, Sanchez would have three or four days of exhibition game at-bats to get readjusted to game-speed pitching.

Sanchez can do everything he needs to do to play, except run. Until he is confident that he can try to stretch a single into a double without pain or go all-out to try to beat out an infield single, he won't play. If he re-injures the knee now, it could be months before he would play again.

Florida Marlins: Coach Perry Hill retired Friday, ending a 14-year major-league career during which he coached five Gold Glove-winning infielders. The Marlins gave no reason for the move by the 55-year-old Hill, who returned to his home in Lantana, Texas.

"This was a very difficult decision, but one that had to be made," he said in a statement.

Hill has been bothered by sore knees this spring and missed work Thursday to have fluid drained from his knee. Last season, he twice left the team because of a family emergency, both leaves lasting about 10 days.

Hill, who joined the Marlins in 2002, coached first base and was considered one of the top infield coaches in the major leagues. Minnesota's Luis Castillo sent the second of his two Gold Gloves to Hill in gratitude for the coach's help, and Mike Lowell of the Red Sox and Orlando Cabrera of the Angels also credited Hill for helping them win Gold Gloves.

Hill also coached for the Rangers, Tigers, Expos. He worked as a minor-league coordinator, instructor and coach for the Rangers.

Hermida sees doctor: Right fielder Jeremy Hermida, still bothered by a sore right knee, was sent to a doctor Friday. Hermida was sore after batting five times Thursday in a Triple-A game. He fouled a pitch off his knee Saturday.

St. Louis Cardinals: The Cardinals left scheduled starter Braden Looper in Jupiter to face a group of Mets minor-leaguers and instead started Matt Ginter, who shut out the Mets on just one hit through four innings.

"[Looper's] going to be facing these guys soon enough, why give them another look," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said.

St. Louis closer Jason Isringhausen tossed a perfect fifth, striking out one.

Baltimore Orioles: The Orioles claimed right-hander Sean Tracey off waivers from the White Sox on Friday and transferred right-hander Kris Benson to the 60-day disabled list.

Tracey, 26, was 0-0 with a 3.38 ERA in seven games for the White Sox in 2006. An eighth-round pick in the 2002 draft, Tracey was 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA in two spring training appearances with Chicago and will compete for a long relief job with Baltimore.

To make room for Tracey on the 40-man roster, the Orioles moved Benson to the 60-day DL. Benson underwent surgery to repair a partially torn right rotator cuff Tuesday and will likely miss the entire 2007 season.

Baltimore also released outfielder Roger Cedeno, who had been invited to spring training as a non-roster player and reassigned to the minor-league camp in Sarasota, Fla.

Washington Nationals: Stan Kasten is a tad weary of hearing dire predictions for this season's Nationals. Asked for a response to those who say his team might lose 100 games, the Nationals president answered: "What are they looking at? I don't get that at all."

Kasten, who helped build the Braves from a last-place team into an annual playoff participant, went on to refer to the Nationals as "very strong, position-wise" and "very strong, bullpen-wise," and he added that they are "going to have real, experienced, veteran help off the bench."

Turning to the team's most glaring area of concern -- the rotation -- Kasten said: "Yes, we have question marks among the starting pitching, but clearly, those things are starting to be answered. So, anyway, I think it's kind of silly for people who say things like that [about how the Nationals will fare]. It makes no sense to me at all."

John Patterson, the only given in the rotation, will be joined by right-hander Shawn Hill (1-3, 4.66 ERA in six starts for the Nationals last season). Matt Chico, a lefty who pitched at Double-A last season, appears to have earned a spot heading into his next appearance Sunday, although first-year manager Manny Acta won't say so publicly.

Jason Simontacchi (out of the majors since 2004) seemed to have locked up a job, too, although a groin injury could mean he'll miss the start of the season. Jerome Williams (0-2 for the Cubs last year before being sent to the minors) allowed two runs in five innings Thursday to bolster his bid, while Tim Redding (Triple-A in 2006) and others remain in the mix.

Snelling leaves game: Outfielder Chris Snelling left the Nationals' 10-4 win over the Tigers in the seventh when he collided with the catcher. Acta said he had a knee bruise and is not expected to miss any time.

Cincinnati Reds: Dustin Hermanson saved 34 games and had a 2.04 ERA in 2005, helping the White Sox get to the playoffs and win the World Series. As the season went along, his back began to hurt. It got worse every time he pitched, but he kept playing because so much was at stake every day. He nearly pitched himself right out of a career.

Doctors examined the back and found an unsettling problem. He had two cracks in a vertebra and instability in the area. It's an injury that has ended careers, and doctors warned him that his might be over as well. He went through months of painful and frustrating rehabilitation to build strength in the back muscles and get the problem under control.

He missed most of last season, making six appearances in September. Hermanson knew the White Sox wouldn't pick up his contract option for $3.65 million -- who would, given the uncertainty over his back? So, he headed home to Scottsdale, Ariz., and waited to see how many teams would be interested.

Not many. Hardly any, in fact. Concerned about the severity of his injury, teams weren't willing to risk it. Hermanson realized he'd have to prove himself, so he invited teams to watch him throw off a high school mound near his home. There weren't many takers.

The Reds needed a closer and decided to see whether Hermanson could still pitch. He agreed to a minor-league deal on March 1 that will pay him $500,000 if he makes the major-league roster. So far, it's working out.

Boston Red Sox: The Red Sox made two roster moves, optioning outfielder David Murphy to Triple-A Pawtucket and sending non-roster first baseman Jeff Bailey to their minor-league camp.

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press