Mark Teixeira expects to play Sunday

Mark Teixeira said he feels "really good" after receiving extensive treatment and expects to play Sunday. The first baseman, who missed his second straight game Saturdaybecause of a bruised right knee, said he jogged and took swings.

"Hopefully, I'm playing tomorrow," said Teixeira, who expressed some concern about the tightness of his right hamstring tendon. "I feel really good about the steps we made . . . It's still a little sore but to the point where I think I should be able to play tomorrow. If I make as good improvements tomorrow as I made today, I should be OK."

Girardi mum on rotation

Joe Girardi didn't give an indication whether Tuesday's starting pitcher will be A.J. Burnett or Phil Hughes, one of whom presumably will go to the bullpen should the Yankees go back to a five-man rotation, as expected.

Regardless of who is taken out of the rotation, Girardi said the move won't necessarily be permanent. "If we decide to change after a while, we can do that," said Girardi, who added that Hughes and Burnett threw their routine bullpen sessions Friday and Saturday, respectively.

Hughes was highly successful out of the bullpen in 2009 and Burnett has made only four relief appearances in 13 seasons. "You can't look at it just from an individual basis,'' Girardi said. "You have to look at how it affects your whole team."

Montero gets first hit

SEE PHOTOSYankees Opening Day starters

DH Jesus Montero went 1-for-3, lining a single to left off Ricky Romero in the sixth for his first major-league hit.

Montero said he plans to give the ball to his father, who watched the game in Venezuela. He also said he brought his father to tears when he made his major-league debut Thursday against the Red Sox. "Many, many years ago, I told him he was going to see me one day on TV," he said. " . . . I know he's so happy. This was our dream. We worked really hard together and now we're really happy."