JUPITER, Fla. (AP) – 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 Saturday 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 RBIs 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 re-evaluate 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 as 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.”

AP-ES-03-18-06 1443EST