David Phelps ready to fill in for Michael Pineda

NEW YORK – The deluge falling out of the sky Wednesday flooded area roads and washed out David Phelps' first shot this season at wading into the Yankees' rotation.

Instead of pitching outside against the Mariners, Phelps threw inside at Yankee Stadium, firing off about 80 pitches in a simulated game to stretch him out. Following the rainout, the Yankees announced they were keeping Hiroki Kuroda on schedule for Thursday night's series-closing game.

Phelps will have to wait.

"It's frustrating," Phelps said. "I was just really looking forward to getting out there and making the first start. But it is what it is. You can't change the weather."

And you can't change the fact that Michael Pineda is injured again. Phelps was supposed to fill in for him Wednesday night thanks to Pineda's 10-game suspension for getting caught in a sticky situation, wearing pine tar on the mound. Phelps said he's now set to take the ball and throw it Monday night against the Angels in Anaheim, the night Pineda was supposed to return.

Pineda strained an upper back muscle in a simulated game Tuesday. The Yankees are counting on Phelps to hold up his end with Pineda out for three or four weeks.

"It's not a great situation," Phelps said. "We're a better team when he's healthy. That's for sure. I just have to go out and pitch my game and show them what I can do."

His 2013 season was split between starting and relief. In 12 starts, he went 5-4 with a 4.93 ERA. In 10 relief outings, he went 1-1 with a 5.14 ERA. Add it up and he was 6-5 with a 4.98 ERA.

The year before, his debut season with the Yankees, he went 2-2 with a 3.77 ERA in 11 starts. In 22 relief outings, he went 2-2 with a 2.76 ERA. Add it up and he was 4-4 with a 3.34 ERA. This season, the 27-year-old righty has a 3.86 ERA to show for his nine appearances out of the bullpen.

"I think he did a pretty good job as a starter when he's filled in," Joe Girardi said. "That's what I expect him to do, do a good job."

The Yankees made him a 14th-round pick in 2008. Phelps went 40-15 in the minors with a 2.53 ERA. Out of his 93 minor-league games spread over six seasons, he started 92 of them.

"I've said I want to do whatever it is to help this team win," Phelps said. "I've obviously been a starter my whole career. I obviously enjoy starting. I'm happy to get a chance."

His 2013 season was split in more ways than one. Phelps also missed 62 games, spanning from early July through mid-September, due to a forearm strain.

"It was obviously frustrating," Phelps said. "Any time you get injured, it's not ideal. But you learn from it and just come back strong this year."

Ivan Nova is out for the year after Tommy John surgery Tuesday. Vidal Nuno will make his second start in his place, throwing Friday night here against the Rays. So two-fifths of the rotation is down.

"It's tough," Phelps said. "That's why me and Nuno have to pick up where they left off and just go out there and give our team the best chance to win that we can."

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