TAMPA, Fla. – Yankees skipper Joe Torre was scheduled to head back to Tampa after undergoing prostate-cancer tests yesterday at a top research hospital in St. Louis.
The Yankees organization was keeping a tight lid on Torre’s whereabouts, but sources told The Post he made a short visit to Washington University Medical Center.
He was also considering a trip to the Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle to consult with doctors about possible treatment, sources said.
A Joe Torre was registered at Washington University yesterday, but a hospital spokeswoman referred all questions about the Bombers manager to the team.
The hospital treats the St. Louis Cardinals, which Torre managed from 1992 to 1995, and is renowned for its prostate-cancer treatment program.
Dr. William Catalona, director of its Division of Urologic Surgery, was the first to establish the PSA test as a screening tool for prostate cancer.
There were no details on what type of tests Torre, 58, underwent.
“We are just waiting for more information,” Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said.
“We are letting Joe deal with this situation the way he wants to. He’s dealing with the issue at hand privately. We will follow his lead.”
A PSA test alerted doctors to possible cancer, and a biopsy Tuesday night confirmed the diagnosis.
People close to Torre said he has not decided on a course of treatment or where to have it.
His options are a 10-day round of irradiation, a 21-day round or surgery. If he chooses surgery, he could be out of commission for up to three months.
Cashman spoke to Torre yesterday morning, but the conversation was devoted to baseball talk.
“It’s a nice distraction for him,” Cashman said.
“He has so many friends calling, and they are all asking how he’s doing. It’s nice for him to be able to talk about lineups and pitchers. It gets him back to what he loves to do.”
Replacement manager Don Zimmer said he tried to reach Torre yesterday but had to leave a message with the baby sitter. “I don’t know where he is,” he said.