Pettitte's Earliest Return Is Aug. 28 Placed on the 60-day disabled list Thursday with a fractured left fibula, Andy Pettitte won't be eligible to return until Aug. 28. He hadn't expected to miss the rest of his summer when a sharp grounder struck him on Wednesday. His shins had taken plenty of hits before, and he told himself that the pain seemed tolerable. Although he couldn't push off well, he figured he could induce ground balls, throw "slower than slow," and find a way to finish the fifth inning. His manager, Joe Girardi, let him stay in, but pain shot through his foot after one pitch. Then Pettitte hobbled, and he knew he was done. Dr. James Gladstone, an orthopedic surgeon and co-chair of sports medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center, who has no relationship with the Yankees, said in a phone interview Thursday that Pettitte's recovery should be routine, considering the type of injury. After three weeks, Gladstone said, the pain should subside, perhaps allowing Pettitte to begin strengthening the ankle, although the bone wouldn't fully heal for six weeks. The situation could have been worse. It wasn't a complete break, Pettitte said, so surgery was not required. Gladstone said the pain would limit Pettitte most, although he should be able to maintain his upper-body and core fitness. Once healthy, Pettitte will require some time to regain his stamina to start, which could take several more weeks. After Wednesday's game, Pettitte walked to his locker on crutches with a black boot on his foot. "I'm going to be in this boot, but as soon as they tell me I can throw, I'm going to be throwing," Pettitte said. I'm going to try and keep my arm in shape. I just need to get whatever's in there right now - I know I've got a lot of pain in it right now. So hopefully, in three or four days, I can move around on it a little bit better. Not knowing he would miss at least eight and a half weeks, Pettitte added, "It's time to put my pom-poms on and be a cheerleader for about six weeks or so."