A-Rod (thumb), Swisher (elbow) sidelined

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Alex Rodriguez finally gave in regarding a sore left thumb that doesn't seem to be improving.

"It's just sore to the point where I can't do any real damage out there to help the team win," A-Rod said before Saturday night's's game against the Angels.

After going 0-for-3 Friday night, Rodriguez went to Joe Girardi and told him the thumb still doesn't feel right. The strategy is to rest Rodriguez for the next three or four games, Girardi said, in the hope there's improvement. But Rodriguez also thinks it's probably something he'll have to deal with the rest of the year.

"There's no question in some capacity," A-Rod said.

Nick Swisher also has been sidelined after going for an MRI on his sore left elbow during Friday night's game. Girardi said the test showed some "mild tendinitis," which will keep the outfielder out for "a few days."

The Yankees had their share of nagging injuries late last season -- Mark Teixeira (broken toe), Brett Gardner (wrist) and Swisher (knee bruise), just to name three -- and it's starting to become an issue again.

"We're beat up right now," said Girardi, who started Eric Chavez at third and gave Eduardo Nuñez his first career start in rightfield.

Girardi said he sat Andruw Jones, who started six of the previous eight games, because he didn't want to put too much stress on the outfielder's knees. "We have to be smart," Girardi said.

Rodriguez, 36, returned from knee surgery Aug. 21 in Minneapolis but injured his thumb that day fielding a Joe Mauer ground shot. Rodriguez sat out the next two games, played three and sat out six straight, during which he had an MRI that showed no structural damage but did reveal a slight sprain. In the 10 games since returning, Rodriguez is 7-for-36 with two homers and four RBIs.

"It's healing," A-Rod said Saturday. "It's better than it was whenever I sat out for it, but I feel like there's a difference between being hurt and playing through bumps and bruises. I can certainly play through bumps and bruises, but even with bumps and bruises, I can do serious damage. The way I am right now, I don't think that's possible."

In spring training, Rodriguez, once known for his durability, talked about his expectation of being able to play 150 games this season. Friday was only his 90th.

"This is as frustrating as it's ever been because my knee feels really good and the rehab went really well," A-Rod said. "Then you have kind of a freaky thing with the ball Mauer hit. It's the last thing you expect. Hopefully, we take the most cautious approach here and hopefully, I can get back to doing what I do in the middle of the lineup."

He added later: "There's nothing that I love doing more than going out there and competing each and every day. But when you can't help the team win, then you have to do what's smart."

Swisher said he is taking the same approach and that there was some relief over the diagnosis.

"Anytime you're going for an MRI, you never know," he said. "It's a bummer because you want to be in there every day, but right now we just need to chill for a couple of days."

Girardi said A-Rod's injury is causing the most concern, but that there's nothing that can be done beyond rest.

"Sometimes nagging injuries are hard to get rid of, that's the bottom line," Girardi said. "But a lot of our guys have nagging injuries. It's just something that happens this time of year."