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New York Yankees: Left-hander Andy Pettitte reported no problems one day after throwing 25 pitches in his first bullpen session since being sidelined by back spasms. Pettitte will have a full mound session Wednesday and might pitch in a minor league game Friday or Saturday.

"Definitely didn't go backwards at all," Pettitte said Tuesday.

When asked if the back discomfort had completely disappeared, Pettitte only said, "I'm feeling better. A lot better."

The Yankees are hopeful Pettitte will be ready to make his first regular-season start.

"I think he will, but comfort is the most important thing to me," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "So if he doesn't, it's no big deal. That's the way I feel."

Chien-Ming Wang, who will start the season on the disabled list with a pulled right hamstring, threw at 60- and 90-feet on level ground. The right-hander is expected to be out until at least late April.

"I hope sooner," Wang said.

More Yankees pitching woes: Left-hander Ron Villone was hit on the outside of his left shin by a batted ball in a minor league game Monday. He expects to pitch on Wednesday.

"I got a nice war wound, but it's OK," he said.

Right-hander Humberto Sanchez, who is out with right elbow inflammation said he will start the season with the extended spring training team. He was one of three minor league pitchers obtained from Detroit for Gary Sheffield during the offseason.

Jeff Karstens could resume throwing Thursday. He has been shut down since leaving a start last Sunday after two innings with right elbow stiffness.

"I don't want to rush it," Karstens said. "It's early in the year. It feels good. It shouldn't be that bad to build back up."

Elsewhere in the Grapefruit League:

Atlanta Braves: John Smoltz pronounced himself ready to pitch the season opener for the Braves after turning in his worst outing of the spring on Tuesday night. Smoltz allowed five earned runs and eight hits in four innings in Atlanta's 7-5 loss to the Tigers. He walked two and struck out two.

Smoltz entered the game with a spring ERA of 1.80 and said he was happy to head north.

"The last game of spring training is the toughest," he said. "I'm just happy to get it over with. I got a little cute experimenting with some things, but I feel great."

He's scheduled to face Philadelphia on Opening Day on Monday.

"I'll be ready when we go north," Smoltz said. "Everything was fine and they just hit it."

Tigers manager Jim Leyland said the outing wasn't vintage Smoltz, but "he'll probably go throw a two-hit shutout on Opening Day. He's still pretty good."

Boston Red Sox: Jon Lester's next destination on his road back from cancer is Boston's minor league team in Greenville, S.C.

The left-hander is slated to make four rehabilitation starts for the Drive of the Class-A South Atlantic League to build his stamina and pitch count. He came to spring training in good shape after his last chemotherapy treatment in late December for anaplastic large cell lymphoma.

Tests showed he was cancer-free, but the Red Sox are bringing him back slowly. He hasn't pitched in a major league exhibition game but has appeared in several against minor league teams. On Monday, Lester allowed three runs in three innings for Triple-A Pawtucket against Rochester.

The Red Sox want him to pitch in more game situations "before we completely take off the guard and let him go, turn him loose," manager Terry Francona said Tuesday. "I think he's chomping at the bit a little bit but he understands."

BoSox, O's deal: The Red Sox obtained outfielder Cory Keylor, the Orioles' minor league player of the year last season, for catcher Alberto Castillo on Tuesday.

Boston also optioned pitchers Manny Delcarmen and Craig Hansen to Triple-A Pawtucket and assigned non-roster pitcher Bryan Corey to its minor league camp.

Keylor, 27, hit .294 with 10 homers and 68 RBIs at Double-A Bowie in 2006 and was assigned to Boston's minor league camp. Castillo, a non-roster player with Boston, was 4-for-13 in 11 spring games.

Delcarmen and Hansen spent substantial portions of last season with the Red Sox. Both had inconsistent exhibition seasons, especially Hansen. Corey pitched well with a 1.50 ERA in 10 appearances.

Cincinnati Reds: The Reds survived a scary moment in the first inning of a 6-2 loss to the Phillies when center fielder Ryan Freel robbed Aaron Rowand of extra bases with a spectacular diving catch on the warning track. Freel crashed into the wall and appeared to hit his head awkwardly. He sat on the ground while a trainer attended to him but somehow stayed in for the final out.

Freel left after the inning because of spasms in the middle of his back and went back to Sarasota during the game. The hard-nosed, gritty Freel took over as the starting center fielder for Ken Griffey Jr., who was moved to right field.

"It shows how crazy he is," Reds starter Kyle Lohse said. "He's a gamer. He doesn't take a play off no matter what."

Cleveland Indians: Indians reliever Matt Miller will miss 3-4 weeks with a muscle strain in his right forearm.

The 35-year-old right-hander pulled himself out of Saturday's spring training game against Atlanta as a precaution after his arm cramped up. An MRI exam Monday revealed the strain, and Miller likely will begin the season on the disabled list.

Trainer Lonnie Soloff said Tuesday that Miller's injury is not related to his previous right elbow problems, which limited him to 37 appearances over the last two seasons. Miller missed most of last season following surgery.

Miller has a career 2.74 ERA in four seasons, the last three with Cleveland.

Houston Astros: Right-hander Chris Sampson, in the mix for Houston's final rotation spot, allowed one run and three hits in five innings. After allowing the first two batters to reach base, Sampson settled down, retiring the next ten batters he faced.

Sampson now has a 5.62 ERA this spring, but that number is inflated by a March 22 start against Washington, when he allowed six earned runs in 2 1/3 innings.

"My performance over the spring has been good," Sampson said. "I've had some real bad games, had a slow start, but I've picked it up."

Sampson is in competition with Matt Albers, Fernando Nieve and Brian Moehler for the fifth spot in the rotation. Manager Phil Garner has yet to make a decision.

Philadelphia Phillies: Freddy Garcia took a step toward ensuring he won't miss his first regular-season start for the Philadelphia Phillies.

The right-hander threw 30 pitches off a mound on Tuesday, six days after he lasted just one inning against Toronto because of right biceps tendinitis. Pitching coach Rich Dubee said Garcia threw all fastballs, including a few that "popped."

"He looked OK. We'll see where he is tomorrow, see how he progresses, see how he responds," Dubee said.

Garcia, who was Philadelphia's key offseason acquisition, still could take a turn in the rotation next weekend at Florida, even if he begins the season on the disabled list retroactive to his last outing on March 21.

"We don't know whether he'll be on the active roster. We'll see what happens the next few days," assistant general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said.

Pittsburgh Pirates: Outfielder Michael Ryan, right-hander Josh Sharpless and catcher Einar Diaz were sent to the minor leagues Tuesday, leaving the Pirates with 32 players in camp.

Sharpless was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis, and Ryan and Diaz were reassigned to the minor league camp. The Pirates must cut seven more players to reach the 25-man Opening Day limit.

Kuwata sidelined: Reliever Masumi Kuwata can't throw for four to six weeks after badly spraining his right ankle, an injury that possibly occurred because of the former Japanese star's unfamiliarity with the peculiarities of spring training baseball.

The 38-year-old Kuwata, one of the best-known pitchers in Japanese baseball history, was hurt Monday when he ran nearly full speed into umpire Wally Bell while backing up a throw to third base against Toronto. The 260-pound Bell, part of a three-man umpiring crew, was headed toward third in anticipation of a possible call.

Kuwata was diagnosed with a grade three sprain, the most severe, and an MRI test Tuesday revealed no further damage. He will be on crutches for seven to 10 days, and it is uncertain when he can pitch again in a game.

Washington Nationals: Nationals center fielder Nook Logan wants to be in the lineup Opening Day and said Tuesday he thinks he can be, despite a groin injury the team has said could sideline him through at least the season's first week.

"Just from how I feel today, I think I'll be ready to play this weekend -- at Norfolk and RFK," Logan said, referring to the Nationals' exhibition games against the Baltimore Orioles on Friday at Norfolk, Va., and on Saturday at RFK Stadium.

The Nationals open the regular season Monday at home against the Marlins.

Logan strained his right groin while running the bases during a spring training game last Saturday. The next day, manager Manny Acta said he expected Logan to be out at least two weeks -- which would put his return no sooner than April 8.

"I can see why he would say that timetable," Logan said. "But it wasn't as bad as I thought at the beginning. Only I know how it feels."

Young, King in fold: The Nationals purchased the contracts of first baseman Dmitri Young and left-handed reliever Ray King from Triple-A Columbus on Tuesday, adding them to the 40-man roster.

Both came to spring training on non-guaranteed minor-league deals.

Young will make $500,000 this season and King $850,000.

Also Tuesday, Washington optioned right-handed reliever Chris Booker to Triple-A Columbus and reassigned right-hander Jason Simontacchi and outfielder Abraham Nunez to minor-league camp.

Simontacchi probably would have been in the team's rotation to begin the season, but he's been sidelined by a right groin injury.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.