Posada catches five innings in simulated game

CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) Yankees catcher Jorge Posada caught five innings and went 0-for-5 with a walk in his first extended spring training game on Monday. The five-time All-Star has been sidelined since April 27 due to a sore throwing shoulder. Posada, batting .302 with one homer and 11 RBIs in 63 at-bats, hopes to rejoin the Yankees around June 3. I got a lot of innings behind the plate, that's all I wanted, Posada said. I wanted just to get ready to catch again. Posada played catch before entering the game, and threw the ball back to the pitcher, but is not expected to start throwing to the bases until later this week. Probably Thursday or so I'll start throwing again, Posada said. I feel good enough to throw right now, but I'm taking one step at a time. First of all, get my legs underneath me and then get ready to catch, throw and doing all that. In Monday's game against Philadelphia minor leaguers, Posada hit a hard one-hopper to first and walked batting left handed. He popped out to center, hit an opposite-field drive to right that was caught at the fence, struck out and hit a hard liner to center from the right side. Posada will play in another extended spring training game Tuesday.