01:00 AM EST on Sunday, March 19, 2006

Opening day is more than two weeks away, yet Gary Sheffield is feeling plenty of angst.

Sheffield, entering his third season as the New York Yankees' right fielder, reiterated yesterday that uncertainty over his future -- he's entering the final year of a $39 million, three-year contract -- is a constant weight on his mind.

"I'm still not comfortable. The thing is, I'm not allowed to be comfortable," he said before the Yankees played the Florida Marlins in a spring training game. "And that's the reality of my situation. I always have to play with my back against the wall. Just one more year of that, and then I don't have to do it no more."

Sheffield hit .290 with 70 home runs and 244 RBI in his first two Bronx seasons, and as spring training began, the Yankees indicated that they may pick up his $13 million option for 2007.

Still, that doesn't seem enough to put Sheffield totally at ease.

"It's always my situation," said Sheffield, who's been with six teams since 1988. "It's always, I've got to be somewhere for one or two years, they reevaluate you from here and there and then go from there."

When told of Sheffield's comments, Yankees manager Joe Torre seemed largely unbothered. He said he hasn't specifically talked to his right fielder about any undue pressure, perceived or otherwise.

"We all have a great deal of confidence in Sheff," Torre said. "He's about as good a pressure player as you want to find."

It's been a difficult week for Sheffield. His uncle, former star pitcher Dwight Gooden, was jailed Tuesday after acknowledging to his probation officer that he was using cocaine. Gooden was on probation for a DUI offense in August 2005, and could face five years in prison. And the strain of that incident is taking some toll on Sheffield, Torre said.

"I think it's his personality, where he feels like he has to prove himself all the time," Torre said.

But when the calendar flips to April and the games start counting, Torre said the Yankees expect -- and believe -- Sheffield will be ready to attack the season.

"When the games start, do I think anything is going to affect how he does his thing? No," Torre said. "And to me, that's really the bottom line."

ROUNDUP

INDIANS REASSIGN TOP MINOR LEAGUER: Ryan Mulhern, Cleveland's minor league player of the year in 2005, was reassigned to the Indians' minor-league camp. In 15 spring training games, Mulhern batted .250 (6-for-24) with four homers and seven RBI. The 25-year-old is expected to begin the season with Double-A Akron. Last season, Mulhern hit a combined 32 homers and 94 RBI for Kinston (A) and Akron. He posted those stats despite missing May due to a broken jaw, an injury he suffered when he was hit in the face with a thrown ball during batting practice.

BELL MAY MISS OPENER: Phillies third baseman David Bell is out indefinitely due to back spasms and might miss the start of the season. The 33-year-old infielder hasn't played in a Grapefruit League game this spring. He called off plans to play in a game yesterday. He played four innings in a minor-league exhibition game Thursday and went 2-for-4. However, assistant general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said Bell experienced back spasms. The setback makes it unlikely Bell could get enough at-bats to play in the April 3 opener against St. Louis. Before the latest setback, manager Charlie Manuel said Bell would need to play extensively and prove he was sharp enough to reclaim his starting job. Bell hit .248 with 10 home runs and 61 RBI in 150 games for the Phillies last season. If he begins the season on the disabled list, Abraham Nunez and Alex Gonzalez would compete at third base. Nunez started 77 games at third base for St. Louis last season and hit .285; Gonzalez made 91 starts at third for Tampa Bay in 2005 and hit .269.