BRADENTON, Fla. -- Yankees left-hander Andy Pettitte skipped his exhibition start Friday against Pittsburgh after feeling tightness in his elbow while warming up.

Pettitte initially felt a twinge during the second inning of a two-inning outing March 3 against Houston, but did not leave the game. When he felt it again Friday about 20 pitches into his pregame warmup, he decided not to pitch.

"The best thing to do was to shut him down," pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre said. "It isn't because he couldn't have pitched. He said he felt it when he tried to juice the ball. As early as it is, there's no reason not to be cautious."

Pettitte, a 15-game winner and the 2001 American League championship series MVP, said the problem isn't serious and he expects to be ready for his next start in five days.

"I told them that if I felt anything at all, I wasn't pitching," he said. "I don't want to fall behind down here and get left behind (when the season starts). I could have pitched today, it's so slight, but I wasn't going to take any chances."

Little, Cubbage interviewed

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Cleveland bench coach Grady Little and Mike Cubbage left their interviews for the Boston Red Sox manager's job Friday with the same feeling: Things went well.

Now Little and Boston's interim manager must wait to learn if they talked themselves into the position.

Interim general manager Mike Port said two to four more candidates are expected to be interviewed for the job created when Joe Kerrigan was fired. It appeared those sessions will not be completed before Sunday.

-- From wire reports