Girardi exercising caution with Posada's foot

Jorge Posada insisted he could have been in the lineup last night as the catcher, saying his right foot felt fine. Instead, he started the game on the bench.

Joe Girardi is being cautious with the Yankees' longtime catcher, saying he wants Posada to get through a full game pain-free before he starts him behind the plate on consecutive nights.

Posada, who suffered a hairline fracture in his right foot May 16, felt discomfort in the foot toward the end of Wednesday night's game, his second game back as catcher. The same thing also happened Sunday.

"There's still a little pain there," Posada said.

Although Posada said he has "no idea" how long it will take for the pain to go away completely, he was comforted that it did not hurt Thursday morning.

The Yankees plan to keep a third catcher, Chad Moeller, on the roster until Posada can catch multiple days in a row without any pain. They also could use the insurance next week when they play six games in seven days in National League parks without the benefit of the designated hitter.

Trainer's room

Alex Rodriguez, who has been nursing a sore groin for the past week, was the designated hitter for the second straight game. Girardi left open the possibility that Rodriguez could return to third base Friday night against the Mets.

Covering first

After A.J. Burnett failed to cover first base Wednesday night, giving Mark Teixeira no one to flip the ball to after making a nice defensive play, Girardi said he would speak with the righthander about the mental lapse.

Asked Thursday if that conversation took place, Girardi said, "The things that we take care of in the clubhouse we like to leave in the clubhouse. Things don't go unturned here. We address all situations. We take care of things."

Extra bases

Members of Rescue Ink, the local animal rights group with its own cable reality television show, were on the field during batting practice getting autographs from various Yankees.