Roberts out of lineup after fouling ball off knee

CHICAGO -- Brian Roberts was not in the Yankees' lineup on Saturday, one day after fouling a ball off his right kneecap, but manager Joe Girardi believes that the second baseman is available to come off the bench.

Roberts hurt his knee in the fourth inning of New York's 6-5 loss to the White Sox, and stayed in the game until the ninth, when he was replaced by Brendan Ryan at second base.

Ryan started at second base on Saturday, and Girardi said that Roberts "is a player today for me in case of emergency." X-rays taken on Roberts' knee Friday at U.S. Cellular Field were negative.

"Any time you hit something off your kneecap, you worry about it; you're concerned you could have a crack or [it could] shatter," Girardi said. "It's a sensitive area, but for the most part, he feels pretty decent. He's sore, but there's really no swelling. Hopefully, we won't need him today and he'll be a player tomorrow."