Gardner locking up starting vs. lefties?

CHICAGO -- Brett Gardner very well may be in the lineup to stay against lefthanders.

Gardner, benched often in the first half of the season against lefty starters in favor of Andruw Jones, started his third straight game against a southpaw Tuesday night. Jones was the designated hitter.

"He's just been playing great and I've just been choosing to DH Andruw a little bit more," Girardi said.

Gardner entered the game hitting .290 with a .389 OBP in 74 plate appearances against lefties this season and he went 0-for-3 against John Danks. Gardner is at .275 with a .350 OBP in 311 PAs against righties.

"I treat them the same," Gardner said. "It's good to get opportunities to play, for sure."

Banuelos an option?

Girardi said he was curious about top lefthanded prospect Manny Banuelos, who allowed two runs, seven hits and three walks with eight strikeouts in five innings in his first Triple-A start Tuesday night. Should he pitch well in the coming weeks, he could be an option to help the big-league club. "Just any kind of help," Girardi said. "You never know what our needs are going to be, that's the thing."

Yanks-Marlins exhibition

The Marlins have scheduled two exhibition games in their new ballpark against the Yankees next April 1-2, the team announced. The Marlins new ballpark is more than 75 percent complete, according to the team, and is to open next year.

Rhodes available

The Yankees, who looked around but were unsuccessful in acquiring a lefty reliever before Sunday's non-waivers trade deadline, could kick the tires on Arthur Rhodes, designated for assignment by the Rangers Tuesday. The Rangers have 10 days to either trade or release Rhodes, 41, who was 3-3 with a 4.81 ERA in 32 games but lefties were hitting just .216 with a .310 OBP against him.