Due to cut, Garcia can't throw splitter

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Freddy Garcia shed a little light on the unkind cut that has cost him at least one start.

"I was cutting some stuff and it happened," he said before Monday night's game. Asked if he was making dinner, he said, "Something like that."

Regardless, Garcia, who wore a small bandage on the tip of his right index finger, said the injury prevents him from throwing his most effective pitch. "I can throw everything but the splitter," he said. "I tried to throw it and it bothered me a lot. I put a lot of pressure on this finger when I throw the split."

Joe Girardi said Garcia probably will test the finger in a bullpen session Tuesday or Wednesday. He said Garcia "probably" will be reinserted in the rotation three days after he throws the bullpen session, perhaps one reason he didn't announce his rotation past CC Sabathia going on Thursday.

"Then we'll decide based on what goes on here," Girardi said.

There was no temptation to have Garcia start against the Rays on Sunday as scheduled in a game that was rained out anyway. "You can't take guys' weapons away from them and ask them to go out and pitch," Girardi said.

As for the specifics of the injury, Girardi didn't press the pitcher -- such as asking how the righthander sliced the tip of his right index finger while cutting up things in the kitchen.

"The bottom line is, how he did it, if he was cutting a pear or a piece of celery or whatever it was, a steak, doesn't really matter," Girardi said. "Bottom line is his finger is cut and he can't throw his split and we have to wait for it to heal."

Posada back inJorge Posada got his second straight start at DH Monday night, coming off his three-hit, six-RBI performance Saturday.

"It's going to be a day-to-day thing and it could change when Alex [Rodriguez] gets here," Girardi said of Posada's future presence in the lineup.

Posada, hitting .102 against lefthanders this season, likely will find himself back on the bench as the Yankees face lefties three straight games. He entered Monday nightbatting .272 against righties.

If Posada, who has not closed the door on playing elsewhere next season -- something he first said in spring training -- drew motivation from his benching, that's fine with Girardi.

"I think the great athletes love challenges," Girardi said. "Sometimes when you get a challenge like that, guys are going to want to show you. George wants to play every day and I respect that and I love that. Whatever it takes for him to be productive, I'll take it because it allows me to do some more things."

Rodriguez still on trackGirardi said the plan is for A-Rod to play third base for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Tuesdayand Wednesday and, perhaps, be in a Yankees uniform by Thursday night's game in Minnesota. "We hope," he said.

Extra basesThe Yankees promoted righthander Dellin Betances to Triple-A Monday . He joins the organization's other top pitching prospect, lefthander Manny Banuelos, who was promoted earlier this month . . . Royals starter Felipe Paulino, who took the loss Monday night, is 1-9 this season and 7-30 in his career.

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