TAMPA – In addition to being very proud of leading the AL with 55 victories in the last three seasons, Andy Pettitte points with pride to his durability.

That’s why the only lefty in the Yankee rotation wants no part of starting the season on the disabled list even though he has thrown a total of three spring innings – one in the big leagues and two at Triple-A.

“I hope I am not on the DL, I hope I miss one start and pick it right up,” Pettitte said after working two innings for Columbus yesterday against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre yesterday at the Yanks’ minor league complex. “I don’t like it, the DL is nasty. I have been up here four years and I haven’t been on there. I don’t want to go on the DL, to tell you the truth. Especially with the things I have pitched through the last couple of years.”

Yet, the DL is a real possibility for Pettitte, who removed himself from his first spring start March 7 when his elbow stiffened. Yesterday’s 26-pitch effort in which he gave up one hit and a walk, was his first game situation since walking off the mound.

Since a team can back date a player 10 days for DL purposes at the start of the season, Pettitte could be placed on the shelf and activated April 10 if he doesn’t pitch in a game in which there is a paid attendance.

“So, if Pettitte’s next outing, which could be Thursday, comes in a minor league game, he could come off the DL April 10. If it’s in a big league exhibition game, the clock begins the next day.

“That’s certainly something we are aware of,” GM Brian Cashman said. “As he clears hurdles, it forces us to make those decisions.”

Pettitte cleared yesterday’s test easily.

“I felt good, I had no problems loosening up between innings and that’s all I was concerned with,” said Pettitte.

However, Pettitte knows he has been wearing pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre out lately with requests to pitch.

“I have been hounding him in his face so much for the last three weeks trying to get some answers and persuade him to do stuff,” Pettitte said.