Girardi: Gardner not quite healed yet

Brett Gardner's strained right elbow is healing at a glacial pace.

Gardner earlier in the week said he hoped to pick up a bat at some point this weekend, but Joe Girardi said before Sunday's game he was looking at "probably" Thursday.

"We're just not comfortable with where he's at right now to do it," Girardi said. "We just don't feel it's quite healed yet."

Gardner said after the game that he's getting an MRI midweek and, if there are no signs of a problem, he'll head to Tampa on Thursday.

"I'm excited to hopefully get some good news and start swinging the bat," Gardner said.

Girardi is hopeful once the outfielder can swing without pain, Gardner shouldn't need too many rehab games, which he'll likely play in Tampa, before returning.

"I would think he'll need a couple of games," Girardi said. "It shouldn't take that long, as long as he has no setbacks. The key is getting him over that hump where he doesn't have any setbacks."

Tex returns

Mark Teixeira did not start for a third straight day -- he did pinch hit in the ninth inning and reach on an error -- and declared himself ready to return to the lineup Monday.

"I'm not 100 percent but it [the days off] did some good," Teixeira said after Sunday's game.

Teixeira has been suffering from a bronchial infection for well more than a month and said the frequency of the coughing fits have dissipated somewhat, though not gone away.

Jeter fine

Derek Jeter took Jay Bruce's ground smash off the left wrist area -- it was wrapped after the game -- in the ninth inning but said he would play Monday.

"I'm all right," he said.