Bruised thumb sidelines Mark Teixeira

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CHICAGO -- Mark Teixeira was a late scratch from the New York Yankees' lineup Sunday after experiencing pain in the right thumb he bruised diving for a ball against the Chicago White Sox on Friday night.

Teixeira was originally in manager Joe Girardi's lineup, but in the clubhouse before the game Teixeira told ESPNNewYork.com that he would make a final decision after batting practice. "It feels a little better today,'' he said.

But Teixeira did not take a full round of BP, and about an hour before the game it was announced he would not play. In his place, Nick Swisher moved to first base, Brett Gardner shifted from right field to left, and Austin Kearns, not in the original starting lineup, was inserted in left. Swisher also took Teixiera's spot in the batting order, moving up from fifth to third.

Teixeira suffered the injury diving after a ball hit by Mark Teahen in the fifth inning on Friday. He remained in the game, but left Saturday's game for a pinch-hitter in the third inning after finding he was unable to grip the bat with his right hand. Teixeira leads the team with 28 home runs, and is second on the team in RBIs with 91.

Girardi said before Sunday's game that no tests were scheduled, and he had hoped his first baseman would be good to go Sunday. "He's day to day, but obviously, we'd like him to play [Sunday]. It's possible.''

Wallace Matthews covers the Yankees for ESPNNewYork.com. Follow him on Twitter.

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Wallace Matthews

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Wallace Matthews has covered New York sports since 1983 as a reporter, columnist, radio host and TV commentator. He covers the Yankees for ESPNNewYork.com after working for Newsday, the New York Post, the New York Sun and ESPN New York 98.7 FM.
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