Slumping Adams gets vote of support from Girardi

NEW YORK -- When David Adams first arrived in New York, he didn't wait long to make a first impression. He got his first Major League hit in his first game -- on his birthday, no less -- and homered a few days later, and instilled hope that the Yankees could perhaps withstand a slew of injuries.

But after batting .300 in his first 10 big league games, he's fallen into a slump. Through 25 career games, his average has plummeted 100 points, and it wasn't until Saturday that he drew his first career walk. On Sunday, manager Joe Girardi threw his support behind the rookie, declaring him the everyday third baseman.

"It's a great opportunity for him to show us on an everyday basis, but teams make adjustments to you very quickly," Girardi said. "In this day and age, with every game on TV and all the video, it's not hard to see what a guy's strengths and weaknesses are, and you have to make some adjustments."

Girardi acknowledged that Adams might be pressing. His job likely isn't permanent -- when either Alex Rodriguez or Kevin Youkilis return, the third-base job is likely his -- but for now he's out there trying to prove himself.

"It's hard as a young player when you're trying to prove that you belong and you hear, 'This guy might be back on Friday, this guy might be back in a couple of weeks,' and all of a sudden, you try to do too much," Girardi said. "And I think that's something that you have to try to guard against."