Nick Swisher, Brett Gardner unlikely to face Royals

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.

Triple-A start for Pettitte

Brian Cashman said Andy Pettitte, who threw 96 pitches Monday in an extended spring training game, will start Sunday for Triple-A Scranton in Rochester and throw 95 to 100 pitches. It could be the final minor-league start for the lefthander before he joins the rotation, though the Yankees haven't officially said so.

"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.

Nix up, Chavez to DLEric Chavez was put on the seven-day DL after suffering a concussion diving for a ball Wednesday night. He was released from the hospital Thursday. Veteran utility player Jayson Nix, 29, signed to a minor-league deal in November, was called up and started in leftfield Thursday night. Nix, who has played for the Rockies, White Sox, Indians and Blue Jays, primarily has been a backup infielder, playing in only six previous games in left.

"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.

Girardi said the righthanded-hitting Nix was chosen because the Royals started lefties in the first two games of the series.