Injured Posada tells Girardi he can be an emergency catcher

BALTIMORE - The Yankees discussed making a roster move at catcher Thursday but decided against it after Joe Girardi spoke with Jorge Posada.

"I talked to him this morning and he said he could be an emergency catcher," Girardi said. "He can bend his knee, so that's the good thing."

Posada left Wednesday's game after getting hit with a pitch on his right knee by Jeremy Guthrie in the second inning. He stayed in the game, scoring on Nick Swisher's two-run triple, but told Girardi he was "done" after scoring.

Posada received treatment much of Thursday and had the knee wrapped, but stressed he could have been available.

"No question there's been improvement since last night," Posada said before the game. "There's still some swelling we need to get out but if need be, in a pinch, I can play tonight."

Girardi said Posada was good enough last night to be ahead of Ramiro Pena on the "emergency catcher" depth chart.

"I think every day he's going to get better," Girardi said. "He might be more than an emergency catcher [Friday]. I think we're going to be fine but if something was to happen to Cervy then you have two guys that are nicked up, then you might have to do something."

As for Guthrie, Girardi criticized the pitcher after Wednesday's game and Guthrie, in his postgame comments, sounded contrite, saying among other things, "I wish I had better command."

Girardi again said before last night's game that he didn't think Posada was intentionally hit, though it's been hard not to notice of the last 17 hitters Guthrie has plunked, nine have been Yankees. And that doesn't include Mark Teixeira and Cervelli in a spring training game March 29.

"It's hard for me to really tell you exactly what's going on because I'm not in that clubhouse and I'm not his manager or his pitching coach or his teammate," Girardi said. "Yes, that is somewhat peculiar but that might be a situation, he does see us a lot more than other clubs. We never seem to miss him.

"It could be to pitch more of our guys inside. I don't have their scouting reports. But the last thing I want to do is start something and inflame the situation. Like I said, I don't think he hit Jorgie on purpose. It's unfortunate Jorgie got hurt and that we're going to miss him and as a manager you become frustrated."

Thames comes through

Marcus Thames had an awful spring, hitting .135 with a .182 on-base percentage, but Girardi said the outfielder's "track record" against lefthanders was the reason he was all but certain to make the team.

Thames, in the lineup at designated hitter last night with Orioles lefty Brian Matusz on the mound, once again made his manager look good. Thames, 7-for-13 this season against lefties coming into the game, went 3-for-3, including an RBI double in the sixth that brought in Robinson Cano to make it 3-0. Thames is hitting .588 (10-for-17) overall.