Andy Pettitte Won’t Return to Yankees Until At Least Early September

The Yankees are going to have to make do without Andy Pettitte for a little while longer.

According to ESPN.com, the 38-year-old Pettitte, who has been out with a strained left groin muscle since July 21, will be unable to return until at least the first week in September and more likely the middle of the month.

Pettitte had an MRI on Tuesday that revealed that his injury still had not healed.

"To say I'm frustrated, that's an understatement," Pettitte told ESPN.com. "I'm trying to stay as positive as I can, but I want to pitch. I just want to get back and I want to pitch and I want to be healthy."

The left-hander experienced pain during a bullpen session on Tuesday, but thought little of the discomfort until the MRI.

"When I tried to go, to throw like I was trying to get a batter out, it would grab me," Pettitte told ESPN.com. "I felt actually like I was being a weenie out there, like I could pitch through this."

Pettitte, a three-time All-Star, got off to one of the best starts of his career in 2010. He was 11-2 with a 2.88 ERA before he injured himself in a July 20 start against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi knows that Pettitte, who started the World Series-clinching Game 6 against the Phillies in 2009, is an important piece to New York’s postseason puzzle. But Girardi is hesitant to rush his eldest starting pitcher back too soon.

"The last thing you would want is for him to come back and say, you know what, I feel like I can only give you 60 pitches," Girardi said. "That's not really going to help us.”