Swing fever for Teixeira

How eager is Mark Teixeira to get back in the swing of things? The man walks around his house with a bat in his hands.

The word finally came down Tuesday night that Teixeira has been given the go-ahead to start swinging as he takes a pivotal step in his return to the Bronx.

“I have a bat in my office at home and every time I check my email or get something in the office I pick it up and kind of twirl it around a little bit because I haven’t had a bat in my hand for a long time,” Teixeira said before Wednesday night’s 4-3 win over the Diamondbacks. “It’s great to have a bat in my hand again.”

Teixeira, sidelined since injuring his right wrist with the U.S. on March 5 before the World Baseball Classic, started light swinging Tuesday night before graduating to what he called “dry swinging” Wednesday at the Stadium. Dry swinging is essentially swinging as he would in a game only without a ball being thrown.

“I swung very light (Tuesday) and it will be a slow-moving (process) and hopefully it just feels good every day and we’ll see where I am the next week or so,” Teixeira said.

The switch-hitting Teixeira who said he “feels great,” will need to be pain-free from both sides before he can come back. He will make the trip to Toronto with the Yankees this weekend and then follow them to Tampa for the series that begins on Monday. If all is going well, Teixeira will then remain in Tampa to continue his rehab when the Yankees return home.

Teixeira and Robinson Cano received their 2012 Gold Gloves before the game.

PETTITTE PASSES TEST

The last time Andy Pettitte threw a bullpen session, his back locked up the next day and forced him to miss his start last Sunday. This time, it was quite the opposite. “Everything was good (Tuesday) night (after his bullpen) and I feel so good I threw another bullpen (Wednesday),” Pettitte said. “So I’m ready for Friday.”

Pettitte said he doesn’t expect anything to derail his start Friday in Toronto.

“Oh yeah, that I’m able to feel good enough to go out and throw another bullpen, a little short one that I usually do the second day (after his regular bullpen),” Pettitte said. “I feel great. Knock on wood that it stays that way.”

SAVE AND A BEAUTY

Mariano Rivera pitched the ninth for his fourth save. Rivera, who missed most of last year after hurting his knee, posted his first back-to-back saves since April 10-11, 2012. . . . Ben Francisco’s one-out single in the seventh was his first hit with the Yankees. He was 0-for-10 with a walk and hit by pitch.

— With Mark Feinsand & The AP