Mendoza, 32, spent seven years with the Yankees before signing with the Red Sox as a free agent before the 2003 season. He missed half of last season with tendinitis in his right shoulder, then underwent surgery to clean up his rotator cuff on Jan. 11.

The right-hander reported to the club's minor league complex on Thursday, where he will continue his rehab program. Mendoza will not pitch for the Yankees in any Grapefruit League games, and he may not see any action in a minor league game until May.

"He provides us more support," said general manager Brian Cashman. "If he gets healthy, he gives us another choice. If he gets back to where he was, we'll benefit from it. If he doesn't, it doesn't cost us anything."

Mendoza was a member of all four of Joe Torre's World Series championship teams in 1996, '98, '99 and 2000. He signed with Boston after the 2002 season, appearing in just 64 games for the Red Sox in two seasons. In 341 career games, including 62 starts, Mendoza is 59-40 with a 4.29 ERA.

It is unlikely that Mendoza will have much of an impact on the Yankees this year, though he could serve as an insurance policy against an injury in the bullpen in the second half of the season. New York took a similar chance on Orlando Hernandez last spring, and "El Duque" became one of the most important pitchers on the team by the end of 2004.

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"We know what he's capable of," Cashman said. "He's only 32 years old, so it doesn't hurt to take a look, see if the ability is still there to get outs at a Major League level."

Felix arrives: Felix Rodriguez showed up at Yankees camp on Thursday, taking his physical and working out with the club. Rodriguez was the last of 28 pitchers and eight catchers to report to camp, as he encountered visa delays and flight problems.

Cashman said that Rodriguez, who actually arrived at camp on Wednesday afternoon around 2:30 p.m., would not be fined for his tardiness.

"It's behind us," Cashman said. "That chapter is closed."

One year at a time: Mel Stottlemyre has said that this will be his final season as the Yankees' pitching coach, but the 63-year-old hasn't ruled out taking another job in baseball.

"I'm never very certain, but I have every intention of getting out of this particular capacity after this year," Stottlemyre said. "I'm not wanting to get out of baseball, so to say I'm going to retire, go sit in a chair at home, watch TV and go fishing, that isn't going to happen. I want to stay somewhat active."

Stottlemyre was in his customary spot in the Legends Field bullpen on Thursday, watching his five starting pitchers throw together for the first time this spring. He said that although he plans to vacate his position at the end of 2005, he's not approaching this spring any differently as he has over the past nine years.

"I learned a long time ago as a player to approach Spring Training like you have to make the club," he said. "Not that I have to make the club, but I want to do everything I can, not shortchange anybody and work as hard as I can."

Quotable: "Hopefully, they'll let me in a card game or something around here. I don't know what the buy-in might be, but I'll have to take some money out of my house or something." -- Jaret Wright, on being the lowest-paid starter in the Yankees' 2005 rotation at $7 million.

Confident Karsay: Steve Karsay threw his first official bullpen session of the spring, kicking off what he hopes will be a rebound season after missing most of the past two years following shoulder surgery.

The veteran right-hander hasn't pitched a full season since 2002, his first with the Yankees. Now entering the final year of his four-year, $22.5 million contract, Karsay is hoping to stay healthy and contribute to the Yankees' newly reloaded bullpen.

"It's a different Spring Training in the fact that, coming off of a major injury, I haven't played consistently for two years," Karsay said. "I guess I have to relearn my limitations, how much I can and can't do."

Karsay will be going through a regular routine this spring, though he admits that he still has the occasional passing thought about the sturdiness of his shoulder.

"Coming off of an injury, you always have a little something in the back of your mind until that one day when you do something that you didn't think you were able to do," he said. "Then it clears from your head and there are no limitations. Hopefully by the end of March, it will all be gone."

Subway shopper: Torre spent some time with Mets manager Willie Randolph last week, as they taped two commercials for Subway sandwich shops in New York.

Torre and his former bench coach did the taping at a Subway store, and the spots will run in March and August.