Daisuke Matsuzaka and Scott Kazmir faced hitters for the first time this spring, and just about everyone walked away impressed.

Matsuzaka threw batting practice for the Boston Red Sox on Saturday and was very sharp. Josh Beckett and Curt Schilling took the mound before him, but they might as well have been anonymous rookies. Everybody was waiting for the Matsuzaka show.

“He’s as advertised,” Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell said in Fort Myers, Fla. “He really is.”

At St. Petersburg, Fla., Kazmir faced live hitters for the first time since August and thought the session went well. Tampa Bay’s All-Star left-hander missed the final six weeks of last season because of shoulder inflammation.

“It was fun to get back out there and get into the swing of things and just see a batter at the plate,” Kazmir said.

Instead of easing back into the routine, though, the 23-year-old faced three of the Devil Rays’ top hitters: Carl Crawford, Rocco Baldelli and Delmon Young. Some good-natured trash talking added a little spice to the matchups.

“He looks good, that’s for sure,” Crawford said.

Matsuzaka pitched to four minor leaguers, who were informed which pitch was coming.

“The guy’s got good stuff. It’s not a myth. It’s not a tall tale,” said Bobby Scales, who was the first batter to hit against Matsuzaka and let the first pitch – a bit high – go by. “The changeup was really good. It seems like it never gets to you and it just kind of floats.”

Next into the batter’s box was Kevin Cash.

“It was impressive,” he said. “All his breaking balls he throws for strikes, and very sharp.”

Matsuzaka is scheduled to throw 50 pitches in batting practice Monday, then make his first exhibition appearance Friday night against Boston College. The right-hander is expected to throw 35 pitches or two innings, whichever comes first.

It could be awhile before the Marlins get Josh Johnson on the mound or the Mariners summon Mark Lowe from the bullpen.

Florida is preparing to start the season without Johnson, who’s had some problems with soreness in his right forearm. Johnson, who finished 12-7 with a 3.10 earned-run average in 2006, was supposed to throw on flat ground Saturday. That was canceled when he woke up with pain.

Yankees

At Tampa, Fla., the Yankees got a minor scare when oft-injured pitcher Carl Pavano was hit on the bottom of his left foot by a liner off the bat of infielder Alberto Gonzalez during a BP session.

Although Pavano is experiencing some foot stiffness, the team doesn’t think the injury is serious. After one warmup toss, the right-hander threw 27 more pitches to complete his workout.

“It hit him square,” said Yankees manager Joe Torre, who was watching from a platform behind the batting cage. “I don’t think there is an issue at all.”

Mets

At Port St. Lucie, Fla., the Mets are dealing with their own pitching issues.

Right-hander Orlando Hernandez, sidelined because of arthritis in his neck, is expected to resume throwing on Tuesday.

Hernandez received a cortisone shot Thursday after leaving camp and returning to New York to have his neck examined. He is slated to be the team’s No. 2 starter behind Tom Glavine. New York already is without Pedro Martinez, out until at least midseason following rotator cuff surgery.

Rockies

At Tucson, Ariz., the Rockies signed veteran outfielder Steve Finley to a minor league contract. Finley is a non-roster invitee to camp.

Finley, who turns 42 next month, is a career .272 hitter with 303 home runs and 320 stolen bases, one of only six players with 300 homers and 300 steals.