Thumb not broken but troubles Gardner again

BALTIMORE - Brett Gardner said the feeling in his left thumb is similar to last year.

That's not a good thing.

Gardner "dinged" the same thumb he broke last season Tuesday night on a seventh-inning checked swing and was removed from the game.

He had X-rays on the thumb, which were negative, before last night's game, but there's cause for at least some concern.

"It doesn't feel as good as I hoped it would today," Gardner said. "There's definitely a little bit of discomfort."

After Tuesday's game Gardner said doctors told him last summer it would take almost a full year for the thumb to feel completely normal and that 20 times or so since then the digit has "flared" up. But those moments of discomfort have gone as quickly as they came.

"It didn't come back so that's a concern for me," manager Joe Girardi said.

Gardner said he could have played last night, pointing out he injured his thumb against Oakland in the first inning, on a slide, and finished the game. X-rays after that game showed the break. Manager Joe Girardi said before last night's game Gardner could pinch run or be used as a defensive replacement. "Obviously I'm concerned about it because it's something I had a problem with before," Gardner said.

Replacement players

With the Yankees ahead by seven in the eighth inning Tuesday, Girardi replaced Derek Jeter with Kevin Russo and Alex Rodriguez, who left Sunday's game in Toronto with a sore groin, with Ramiro Pena. Girardi said to expect more of the same as the season goes on.

"If I can get him [A-Rod] out of games, I'm going to get him out of games, him and Jete, whenever I can," Girardi said.

Posada OK after catching

Jorge Posada didn't feel any worse for the wear after doing a series of catching drills Tuesday, his first since coming off the DL."I haven't seen him in the training room for treatment so that's a good sign," Girardi said. Posada will resume with drills Thursday and again Friday.

Cliff hanger

The Post reported Wednesday that the Mariners expect the Yankees to make an offer for Cliff Lee before the trade deadline. But a deal seems unlikely with the rotation pitching as well as it currently is, as well as GM Brian Cashman's reluctance in recent years to deal top prospects at the trade deadline.