Raul Ibañez has played a much greater role than expected

OAKLAND, Calif. -- When the Yankees signed Raul Ibañez, essentially choosing him over fan favorites Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui, tilting things in his favor was the team's belief that he'd be a better outfielder than Damon or Matsui if the need arose. It did -- far more than anyone expected.

"I figured he'd be our DH against righties all the time,'' Joe Girardi said. "I didn't think that Gardy [Brett Gardner] was going to be out a month . . . In my mind, I had him playing the outfield maybe once a week, twice a week, maybe three times in two weeks just to give some guys a blow, but we haven't been able to do that just because of the injuries.''

The primary one, of course, is the right elbow strain that has sidelined Gardner. Ibañez, who will turn 40 this coming Saturday, made his 17th start in leftfield Saturday to go with six starts in rightfield and nine at DH.

Gardner is scheduled to swing a bat Monday, but he won't be rushed. "I have a concern about that,'' Girardi said of the injury lingering. "For the whole season? No, but as I told him, if we have another setback, you're probably looking at the All-Star break, so we have to make sure before you go out and play some games that you don't feel it at all. No pressure, no little bit of swelling. Nothing.''