Romine getting a true look, after all

SEATTLE -- Three days ago, Austin Romine figured his season was done.

Instead, a day later, he was making his major-league debut in Anaheim as a late-inning sub and a day after that, Monday night against the Mariners, the 22-year-old got his first big-league start. He got his first big-league hit, a line single to rightfield off Dan Cortes to lead off the seventh inning.

"It's always in the back of your mind [a September call-up], but I thought I was going to get some time off," he said Sunday. "Trust me, this is a whole lot better."

The "this" was the phone call Joe Girardi made late Saturday night -- to Romine's girlfriend because the manager couldn't immediately get Romine -- telling him his services were needed in Anaheim, where the Yankees had a catching emergency because of injuries to Francisco Cervelli and Russell Martin.

Jorge Posada took over for an injured Martin, who took a foul ball off his left thumb, in the third inning and Cervelli was to be sent back to New York to be evaluated because of concussion symptoms. Jesus Montero started Sunday and Romine replaced him in the bottom of the seventh and was behind the plate when Mariano Rivera got career save No. 599 in the ninth.

"I had a million things thrown at me at one time," Romine said. "They were showing me pictures of hitters and counts and stuff like that. I just took a deep breath and treated it like spring training."

Romine, who hit .286 with six homers and 47 RBIs in 85 games with Double-A Trenton before catching four games at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre when Montero was called up, is regarded as the better defender between him and Montero.

"He's [Romine] a little bit more experienced back there even though one played at Double-A and one played at Triple-A," Girardi said. "I think Romine's been catching longer in his lifetime than Montero. And they're both works in progress."

Speaking specifically of Romine's defense, Girardi said: "He's a very good blocker, he throws well, I think he frames pitches well. I think he does a lot of those things. For a young kid, that's something that sometimes comes a little later in your career."

But Girardi said the main reason for starting Romine had to do with his familiarity with Monday night's starter, Phil Hughes.

"He caught him [Hughes] a couple of times in Double-A on his rehabs," Girardi said.

And there's this: Given the unpredictability of head injuries, Girardi wants to evaluate both young catchers and not at the plate but behind it.

"They might be called into duty if we get to the playoffs," Girardi said. "You do have to find out what they can do."

Notes & quotes: Nick Swisher's left elbow improved to the point where he got the start at first base, though Swisher said he still felt a little "something" on longer throws when he tested the elbow before the game. Mark Teixeira started at DH . . . Girardi said "it may not be Toronto" until Alex Rodriguez (sprained left thumb) will play again. That series starts Friday. "Just have to sit tight and hope it heals," A-Rod said before the game . . . The Yankees said that Cervelli met with a neurologist at New York-Presbyterian Monday. He was diagnosed with a concussion, but MRI results were negative. All baseball-related activities have been suspended and there is no immediate timetable for his return. Martin, meanwhile, still had his thumb wrapped but Girardi said it's possible he could return Tuesday . . . After resting Boone Logan, who said he's had a "dead arm," in Anaheim, Girardi said the pitcher was available Monday night.

With Jim Baumbach