Johnson goes on DL; Aceves hurting

BOSTON - Nick Johnson went on the disabled list yesterday, and the Yankees hope Alfredo Aceves won't be joining him there. Early indications are that Aceves won't have to, although he's likely to be unavailable the next several days. He left yesterday's game with two outs in the sixth inning with stiffness in his lower back.

"I think we'll take two, three days," said Aceves, who got that timetable from trainer Steve Donohue. "Just to make sure I'm not getting worse."

It is the same condition that sidelined Aceves toward the end of spring training, one he felt Saturday while covering first base on a 3-6 forceout that resulted in the second out of the sixth. After throwing a strike to the next batter, Aceves was removed.

Johnson was placed on the disabled list after an MRI in New York revealed an inflamed tendon in his right wrist. According to Brian Cashman, Johnson will be out "several weeks," though given his injury history, that might be optimistic. "We know it's at least going to be 15 days," Joe Girardi said. "And it'll probably be a little bit more than that."

According to the Yankees, Johnson received a cortisone injection Saturday and will remain in New York to receive treatment at the Stadium.

Girardi said he is likely to rotate the DH spot among Marcus Thames and Jorge Posada, who is likely to start Sunday night at DH, and other regulars who could use a partial day off.

Thames was to be the DH Saturday before Robinson Cano, who was hit in the left knee with a pitch Friday night, took pregame batting practice. Cano replaced him and went 1-for-5.

Extra basesPosada said he tried to lobby Girardi to play but "it didn't work out" because of a combination of the wet field and, Girardi said, the severity of his calf injury. "He had a Grade 1 strain," Girardi said. "Most guys don't come back before a week, that's just the bottom line." . . . The Yankees called up West Babylon product Kevin Russo, a versatile infielder who made his major-league debut in the eighth.