Cervelli expects to begin throwing in a week

NEW YORK -- After missing more than a month since breaking his right hand on April 26, Francisco Cervelli is finally nearing a return to action.

The Yankees catcher said Tuesday that he expects to begin throwing in about one week and he could be ready to return to the Yankees not long after that.

"If I throw a ball, I'm only going to need like two weeks to get my arm strength," Cervelli said. "Then we'll be ready to go."

Cervelli had his cast removed on Thursday and underwent surgery to remove the pins from his right hand on Friday. He's currently on the 60-day disabled list, so he'll be eligible to return in late June.

"We're just starting to rehab the hand. We're doing some exercises with it," manager Joe Girardi said. "He'll probably go to Tampa, [Fla.], sometime this week."

There's still some swelling, but Cervelli said the hand felt better Tuesday than it did Monday. He's been undergoing physical therapy on the hand all week, and he started running Tuesday.

"Nobody wants to play more than I do," Cervelli said. "I will be good in one week, I believe."