Gardner has setback, out at least 15 more days

After his first rehab start Tuesday night, Brett Gardner's return to the lineup this week seemed inevitable. But now he won't pick up a bat for 10 days after re-straining a muscle in his right elbow Wednesday.

The intent was for Gardner to be activated yesterday, but now the Yankees won't have him for a while. "We'll be without him for 15 to 25 days, and that's unfortunate,'' Joe Girardi said. "It's a muscle and we know it will heal, but it's frustrating.''

Gardner, who has been on the disabled list since April 18, started Wednesday night for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, going 1-for-2 with two walks, but experienced swelling in the elbow area and had an MRI late Thursday afternoon. "It's in the muscular part. It's not where the bone bruise was,'' Girardi said before the game.

Getting personalChris Stewart caught CC Sabathia for a fourth straight start -- Russell Martin caught the lefthander's first two starts -- but Girardi disputed the suggestion that Stewart has become the ace's "personal'' catcher.

"I don't like to make a big deal because there's egos I have to manage in that room. You don't, I do,'' Girardi said. "He is not his personal catcher. It's just worked out a lot of the starts I've chosen to play Chris have been with CC and have been against lefthanders.''

Stewart came in hitting 3-for-10 against lefties this year. He had an RBI single against lefty David Price in the second.

Chavez still waitingEric Chavez, on the seven-day DL with a concussion, was tested again Thursday and hoped to be cleared to be activated. "I felt better about [Thursday's] test,'' Chavez said.

No commentGirardi declined to say if he felt the need to give David Robertson, who blew a save chance Wednesday after converting one Tuesday, a pep talk.

"I know I'm vanilla and I protect my players, but if I start telling you every time I talk to a player, you're going to formulate an opinion about a player, what he needs and he doesn't need,'' Girardi said. "And sometime that can be unfair.''