Swisher forced to sit out with sore knee

TORONTO - Nick Swisher's knee didn't cooperate.

Swisher, pulled from Tuesday night's game in the seventh inning after fouling a ball off his left knee, was a late scratch from last night's game after being in the original lineup.

The final hurdle Joe Girardi needed to see the outfielder clear before allowing him to play was batting practice, but Swisher never got that far, appearing uncomfortable while trying to get loose.

"Just couldn't get it moving the way I wanted to," Swisher said after the game. "Wanted to be out there but just wasn't able to."

Asked several minutes before he took the field for BP, Swisher said the knee, which was heavily wrapped after Tuesday's game, didn't feel good when he woke up.

"Oh man, [it was] stiff," he said. "That wrap that it was in the whole time, you couldn't really move it much. So I'm really excited to go out and move around a bit. I got down like almost in a catcher's squat today and I was like, oooo, that [hurt]."

Swisher said having essentially two days off - Thursday is an off day - there was "no doubt" he'd be ready for Friday night's game against the White Sox.

Keeping a close watch

Girardi doesn't always make it a priority to watch his pitchers throw bullpen sessions but Friday night in Chicago he will.

Andy Pettitte, on the disabled list since July 19, will test his strained left groin before the game against the White Sox. Pettitte tried to throw off a mound Aug. 17 when felt something. An MRI that night showed "a small persistent strain."

"I think we're all curious to see how he's going to do," Girardi said. "And I think there's anxiety on Andy's part and everybody's part . . . I think that will be a good indicator because every time he's tried to really push off, he's felt a little tug. If he's able to push off Friday, it would tell me he's healed."

Setback for Marte

Damaso Marte, on the DL since July 8 with left shoulder inflammation, didn't throw his scheduled bullpen Tuesday after not quite feeling right in Saturday's session.

"He just said it didn't feel quite right when he throws," Girardi said. "We're going to give some extra days to him before he throws again."

Girardi said this setback has him thinking about the prospect of not getting Marte back at all. "There's a concern about that," he said.

No more talk after talking

Asked why he didn't impose the same moratorium on contract talk as Derek Jeter did in spring training, Girardi said that's his plan after addressing the topic - as well as the Cubs' opening - Friday night with the Chicago media.

"I'm going to do it Friday and that will be it," he said.

Extra bases

Girardi said Nick Johnson will have more surgery on the right wrist tendon that has kept him out since May 8 . . . Javier Vazquez, who had his start skipped Sunday, pitched 4 1/3 innings in relief . . . Alfredo Aceves struggled in his rehab appearance Tuesday for Double-A Trenton, allowing three runs and six hits in 1 1/3 innings.