Ailing Teixeira Hopes To Return To Yankees' Lineup Friday
ST. LOUIS (CBSNewYork/AP) — New York Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira was out of the lineup for a third straight day Wednesday because of soreness in his surgically repaired right wrist.
But he hopes the streak ends there.
"Hopefully the extra day off tomorrow will help, and hopefully I'm back in there on Friday," Teixeira said, according to the New York Post.
The Yankees have Thursday to rest before beginning a three-game series Friday at home against the Minnesota Twins.
Brian McCann started at first base for the first time in his career and batted cleanup in a 7-4 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. Going into the series finale, McCann had four career innings experience at first base in three games earlier this season.
"I wouldn't make too much of this," manager Joe Girardi said. "I'm not looking at this as being an option going forward right now.
"As I've said, sometimes as a manager you have to do some things that you don't necessarily envision."
Girardi said Teixeira's ailing wrist was showing improvement. The first baseman said he was hoping to "feel nothing" on Wednesday, but that wasn't the case.
"There's still some soreness in there," said Teixeira, who is batting .248 with nine home runs and 25 RBIs.
Girardi said Kelly Johnson has struggled some at first base but absolved him of blame for one of the two errors that contributed to the Cardinals' four-run third in a 6-0 loss Tuesday night. Johnson received an off-line throw and attempted to make a sweeping tag in the same motion, and the ball popped loose.
Shortstop Derek Jeter also was not in the lineup, getting a rest after eight straight starts with Brendan Ryan getting a spot start.
"I think he understood what I was trying to do," manager Joe Girardi said. "We're in another long streak here, a really long streak."
Johnson, who played first base the first two games in St. Louis, started at third base.
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