Yankees being cautious with Nick Swisher

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Nick Swisher joked of the disabled list, "that's not in my vocabulary," when asked if he thought a stint might be required.

But the rightfielder is playing it cautious with what the Yankees called a mild left hip flexor strain, sustained running out a seventh-inning grounder in Friday night's loss to the A's.

"I just felt something tug halfway down the line and I let up on it, which was good because I didn't feel like I really yanked it," Swisher said after the game.

Before last night's game, Swisher, who underwent a precautionary MRI yesterday morning, said he's OK with the prognosis of missing at least the next two games.

"I feel like I'm one of those guys who can play through a lot of pain," Swisher said. "But I think more than anything I want to get back [soon] so I need to take these next couple days off, chill out and see what happens in Seattle."

The Yankees start a three-game series in Seattle Monday night.

"I don't think it's anything super-serious," Swisher added. "It just kind of feels tight but I'm moving around pretty good."

The Yankees haven't had much good news on the outfield front. Thursday, though it didn't come as a surprise, it was announced that Brett Gardner would undergo arthroscopic surgery this week on his right elbow, likely ending his season.

As Gardner's return in recent weeks became less and less of a sure thing, the team stepped up its efforts in perusing the trade market for outfield help.

Among the outfielders the Yankees have looked at of late are the Phillies' Shane Victorino, the Padres' Carlos Quentin and Coco Crisp of the A's.

But neither Joe Girardi nor Swisher expects this to turn into a Gardner situation, even though the leftfielder originally thought his elbow strain would keep him out just a couple of days, too.

"I feel like I know my body pretty well in situations like that, you know when something really goes," Swisher said. "I feel it's hopefully just a little strain and it's day-to-day from here."

Last night Girardi started Dewayne Wise, who has performed reasonably well in his sporadic playing time, in right and Raul Ibañez in left.

"In the meantime we're OK," Girardi said of Swisher's absence, provided it doesn't go on for an unforeseen stretch. "It's something we're just going to have to deal with over the next couple days. But the MRI will give us a better idea of how much longer it's probably going to be."

The results of the MRI were not immediately available before Saturday night's game.

Saturday night was Wise's third start of the season in rightfield. He also has two starts in center and nine in left. The lefthanded-hitting Wise, 34, has played well in the field and held is own in the limited at-bats he's gotten. He came into yesterday hitting .278 (15-for-54) with three homers and eight RBIs.

With Swisher down and Saturday night the start of a stretch of five straight games in which the Yankees were scheduled to face right-handed starters, Wise figures to get some extended playing time.

"He's got a chance to play a lot,'' Girardi said. That's for sure."