Swisher back in rightfield

In the lineup as an outfielder for the first time in over a week, Nick Swisher said he, and his creaky left knee, was ready to go.

"There's just two weeks left," Swisher said before the game. "We got a couple of DH games, which were great. Now I think it's to the point to where it's, hey, let's go."

After spending Saturday and Sunday in Baltimore at designated hitter - he went 2-for-10 - Swisher last night started his first game in rightfield since Sept. 11 in Texas.

"I'm glad we did exactly what we did because I feel so much better," Swisher said.

A lot of that, he said, had to do with the cortisone shot he received last Tuesday in Tampa. Swisher, who hurt the knee Aug. 24 in Toronto when he fouled a ball off it, never before in his career had taken a cortisone shot.

"When you're taking something like that, you're taking some strong stuff," Swisher said.

He paused and smiled.

"I'm a fan."

Tex is back

After being given two straight days off to allow a bone bruise and broken pinkie toe to heal - or at least feel better - Mark Teixeira started at first base.

"He said yesterday [Sunday] to me, I'm ready to go," Joe Girardi said before the game.

Teixeira, 5-for-30 on the nine-game trip before sitting out the last two games, has been playing this month with a broken little toe on his right foot, suffered Aug. 31 when Oakland's Vin Mazzaro hit him with a pitch at the Stadium. The bigger concern, Girardi and general manager Brian Cashman have said, is the deep bone bruise on the base of his right thumb, suffered diving for a ball Aug. 28 in Chicago against the White Sox.

Same old, same old

Having just played three straight one-run games, all decided in the late innings, against the Rays, Girardi anticipated this four-game set to be similar.

"If they're anything like the last three games we've played against them, they're going to be close, they're going to be close and they're going to come down to the last minute," Girardi said.