Nick Swisher, Brett Gardner unlikely to face Royals
Nick Swisher walks off the field after striking out swinging in the third inning. (April 10, 2012) Credit: AP
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Though Nick Swisher and Brett Gardner made the trip here, neither appears likely to be in the lineup at any point in the four-game series against the Royals that concludes Sunday.
Swisher, not on the disabled list but out with a strained left hamstring, took batting practice in the cage Thursday and Joe Girardi said the rightfielder should hit on the field Friday.
"I don't know. We'll see," Girardi said of Swisher possibly playing this weekend. "We'll see how the next couple of days go."
Gardner, on the DL with a right elbow strain since April 18, will take batting practice in the cage Friday and said he hopes to take it on the field Saturday. If Gardner clears both of those hurdles, he'll be sent to the minors for one, maybe two, rehab starts.
"They'll have to make that determination from his next start, how he does," Girardi said.
He said the preference when Pettitte does return is to insert him on his fifth or sixth day, meaning the pitcher's debut could come May 11 or 12 against the Mariners.
"I don't have a whole lot of experience there, but the times I've been out there, I've felt comfortable," said Nix, who started in left for Scranton on Tuesday.
