Teixeira happy after return to game action

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Mark Teixeira played in his first game of the spring on Thursday, going hitless in three at-bats during the Yankees' 4-3 victory over the Phillies at Bright House Field.

Coming off surgery to repair a torn ECU tendon in his right wrist, Teixeira played four innings in the field at first base and called it a "good first step."

"Just being in a live game, seeing what it felt like to run around out there, see live pitching, swing at good pitches -- that was good," said Teixeira, who had the season-ending procedure performed last July 1. "Make contact, get jammed, hit a ball off the end, do some of the things you'd do during the season. I did a lot of them today."

Teixeira grounded out to first base in the first inning and flew out to center field in the third inning facing Philadelphia right-hander Kyle Kendrick. Teixeira popped out to shortstop in the fifth inning against left-hander Mario Hollands.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said that fielding a lineup with Teixeira in the No. 3 spot was a welcome change.

"It seems really funny, because I looked at my lineup and I was like, 'Man, I've got a lot of guys in there on a road trip,'" Girardi said.

Teixeira said that he was out in front of a changeup in the first at-bat and that he had been jammed by a fastball in the third at-bat. He was happiest with the second at-bat against Kendrick, which produced a loud fly ball.

"I'll just build from there," Teixeira said. "Wrist felt good, body felt good, so I'm happy."