Teixeira increasing rehab activity, but Yanks cautious

TORONTO -- Mark Teixeira, who is recovering from a partially torn tendon in his right wrist, is slowly making strides on his road to recovery.

The first baseman has started taking swings with a light fungo bat, shortly after he incorporated underwater swings in a pool, as he ramps up his rehabilitation process.

Manager Joe Girardi said Teixeira must still exercise caution.

"I think a lot of times these guys think when they come off a brace, and I can tell you I did, too, that they can swing because it feels good," Girardi said.

"It just takes time, that's all."

Girardi said recovering players can be deceived by how good they feel once they start incorporating certain exercises. But he added that swinging a properly weighted bat at the force required in a game situation takes a much different kind of strength.

Meanwhile, the skipper didn't have any new information to pass along regarding Teixeira's fellow injured teammate, Curtis Granderson, but thinks his tremendous shape will help expedite the rehab process once he's cleared to resume baseball activities.

"I don't know that he has to go through a full Spring Training," Girardi said. "We really won't be able to determine how much he needs until he goes and plays some games, because you don't know how his body is going to respond and how he feels in the game."

Granderson and Teixeira combined to hit 67 of New York's Major League-leading 245 home runs last season. The Yankees entered play Friday first in the American League with 22 homers.