Back stiffness sidelines Martin again

Russell Martin was scratched from Monday's lineup an hour before the first pitch because of recurring back stiffness.

The catcher missed four straight games last week before going 0-for-4 Sunday in a 9-1 win over Cleveland. Martin, who bounced into two double plays and allowed five stolen bases to the Indians, acknowledged after the game that the discomfort was still there, but he could play through it.

He was scheduled to catch and bat eighth in Monday night's series finale, but at 6:10 the team said Francisco Cervelli would replace him.

"We watched him take BP and he just didn't look like he had the rotation he needed," Joe Girardi said. "He did feel better today, he said, than he did [Sunday]. But we're going to wait and make sure that his BP is normal before we put him back out there."

Colon replacement TBA

Joe Girardi still isn't saying who will pitch Thursday in Bartolo Colon's place. Hector Noesi could be an option, though the manager cautioned he may be forced to use the righthander out of the bullpen before Thursday. Minor leaguers Adam Warren, D.J. Mitchell and David Phelps also are fill-in candidates. Phelps did not make his scheduled start in Syracuse Monday night for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre -- a sign he could be Bronx-bound later this week.

Extra bases

Phil Hughes (shoulder) will make his first minor-league start Tuesday for the Gulf Coast League Yankees.

With Ken Davidoff