Teixeira rests legs; no tests planned

NEW YORK -- Mark Teixeira commented that his legs felt like "two cement blocks" as he rounded the bases for a ninth-inning home run in Sunday's 6-5 loss to the Brewers at Miller Park, a good indication that the Yankees' first baseman was due for a break.

Manager Joe Girardi received the message, leaving Teixeira out of the starting lineup in Monday's 9-7 loss as the club opened the Subway Series against the Mets.

Teixeira entered in the ninth inning as a pinch-hitter, lining a single, but he was immediately replaced by pinch-runner Brendan Ryan. Teixeira has also been feeling tightness in his left groin, but given the Yanks' rash of injuries, Teixeira said he is intent upon playing on Tuesday.

"I'm going to play tomorrow, no matter what," Teixeira said after the loss. "You hate to see Carlos [Beltran] not feeling good, you hate to see Ichiro not feeling good, but I'm out there tomorrow no matter what."

Beltran was sent for an MRI exam after hyperextending his right elbow while hitting in the batting cage during Monday's game; Ichiro was unable to play after injuring his back while attempting to catch a sinking line drive on Sunday.

Teixeira said that he has learned to be more cautious about his body late in his career. He served a stint on the disabled list earlier this season due to a strained right hamstring and was told not to run hard in his ninth-inning at-bat.

"That's what happens to guys that are older; you get bumps and bruises," Teixeira said. "That's the unfortunate part about getting old. But we have a very deep team; we have a bunch of guys that are champing at the bit to get at-bats.

"We have All Stars sitting on the bench, so we'll fill in where we need to fill in and guys that are bumped and bruised, we'll give them a day here and there. We'll get back at it."