NEW YORK (AP) — Alex Rodriguez was scratched from the New York Yankees lineup Tuesday night because of a sprained left thumb, an injury he sustained during his first game back from knee surgery.

The three-time AL MVP originally was set to bat fourth in the opener of a three-game series against Oakland. But after cutting short an early batting practice session, he decided his thumb was too sore to play.

“It felt pretty painful,” Rodriguez said. “Hopefully it’s just a day or two.”

X-rays were negative and the Yankees said Rodriguez was day to day.

The third baseman hurt himself fielding a grounder Sunday at Minnesota, his first game since July 7. The AL East-leading Yankees were off Monday.

Rodriguez, who hasn’t homered since June 11, said Tuesday his knee was feeling good and he was available to pinch-hit. He showed off his slightly swollen thumb while standing near the indoor batting cages at Yankee Stadium, saying it was difficult to grip a bat and that it hurt most when he tried putting on his glove.

Rodriguez went 0 for 5 on Sunday against the Twins, but Yankees manager Joe Girardi said he was impressed with A-Rod’s progress.

“The one thing about Sunday, he wasn’t fooled by one pitch,” Girardi said.

Girardi said he will check daily with Rodriguez to see how the knee is but he did not consult with him Tuesday when making out the initial lineup because the team was off Monday.

“It’ll be a day-by-day thing for a while,” Girardi said.

Pulling Rodriguez created a wholesale reorganizing of the Yankees’ lineup. Girardi inserted Eric Chavez at third base and had him bat seventh. And New York went with an order that was often used for much of the six weeks Rodriguez was out.

Brett Gardner moved from ninth to first, and everyone else at the top moved down one slot. Jeter went to second, Curtis Granderson to third and Mark Teixeira moved into A-Rod’s cleanup spot. Designated hitter Jorge Posada moved down to eighth and Russell Martin to ninth.

While he’s disappointed with the thumb injury, Rodriguez was happy with his health overall.

“The good news is the knee feels great, body feels good. Hopefully just a bump in the road,” Rodriguez said. “The big picture is the most important thing.”

Rodriguez was hitting .290 with 13 homers and 52 RBIs in 349 plate appearances this season.

Also, the slugger said he is scheduled to meet with Major League Baseball investigators Friday in Baltimore to discuss reports of his participation in illegal poker games.

SARASOTA, Fla. — Curtis Granderson was a late scratch from Tuesday’s New York Yankees game against the Baltimore Orioles with a strain of the right oblique that he apparently suffered during batting practice.

Granderson, who was slated to be Tuesday’s leadoff hitter, took batting practice and signed autographs afterward without apparent discomfort. But shortly before game time, the Yankees announced Granderson would not play. He was replaced in the lineup and in center field by Melky Mesa.

Granderson is hitting .385 with three home runs and seven RBIs this spring. His injury is the latest in a run of oblique strains on the Yankees. Both Joba Chamberlain and Sergio Mitre missed some time with the injury earlier this spring.

Conicidentally, Mitre started Tuesday’s game, and Chamberlain was slated to make his first appearance in a game since the injury.

Wallace Matthews covers the Yankees for ESPNNewYork.com.

Follow Wallace Matthews on Twitter: @wallacematthews

Published: Tuesday, March 15, 2011, 3:04 PM     Updated: Tuesday, March 15, 2011, 3:38 PM

The New York Yankees returned former Oregon State and McMinnville High School pitcher Daniel Turpen to the Boston Red Sox organization on Sunday.

The Yankees selected Turpen during December’s Rule 5 Draft.

Turpen went 0-1 with a 7.36 ERA in five appearances with the Yankees during spring training. Turpen pitched 3 2/3 innings, striking out four and walking four.

Per Rule 5 Draft rules, the Yankees had to keep Turpen on their 25-man roster this season or return him to the Red Sox for $25,000. New York purchased his rights for $50,000 by selecting him in the Rule 5 Draft.

Turpen has been assigned to Triple-A Pawtuckett.

– Aaron Fentress, follow him on Twitter

Cashman took questions from fans Tuesday at an event sponsored by WFAN radio. The GM says Jeter is the Yankees’ shortstop and that the team doesn’t have any plans to move him.

The 36-year-old Jeter recently signed a three-year contract with a player option for 2014. In the event Jeter does shift, Cashman suggests center field would be the right spot.

Jeter worked out Tuesday at the Yankees’ spring-training complex in Tampa, Fla., hitting in the batting cage and fielding grounders. The only time he spent in the outfield came when he played catch before starting infield drills.

The New York Yankees agreed to terms with pitchers Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes and Boone Logan on one-year contracts Tuesday, avoiding arbitration with the trio.

Bronx, NY (Sports Network) – The New York Yankees agreed to terms with pitchers Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes and Boone Logan on one-year contracts Tuesday, avoiding arbitration with the trio.

Chamberlain led the team with 73 appearances out of the bullpen in 2010, pitching to a 4.40 earned-run average with a 3-4 record and three saves.

Hughes came into his own as a starter last year and went 18-8 with a 4.19 ERA, earning a trip to the All-Star Game in his fourth big-league season.

The left-handed Logan threw to a career-low 2.93 ERA in his first season in New York, appearing in 51 games in relief.

All three pitchers are 26 years old or younger.

© 2011 The Sports Network

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Yankees have agreed to one-year contracts with right-handers Phil Hughes and Job Chamberlain and lefty Boone Logan to avoid arbitration.

Hughes receives $2.7 million for the 2011 season, while Chamberlain will earn $1.4 million and Logan $1.2 million for the Yankees, who lost in the AL championship series to the Texas Rangers in six games a year after winning the 2009 World Series.

Hughes won a career-best 18 games last season with a 4.19 ERA over 29 starts and 31 appearances and was a first-time All-Star.

Chamberlain went 3-4 with a 4.40 ERA and three saves in 73 outings. Logan was 2-0 with a 2.93 ERA in 51 appearances.

Braden among A’s reaching deals

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The Oakland Athletics have agreed to one-year contracts with outfielders Josh Willingham and Conor Jackson, starting pitcher Dallas Braden and third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff to avoid salary arbitration.

Oakland also finalized an $8.1 million, two-year deal Tuesday with reliever Grant Balfour. The sides agreed to terms Friday pending a physical.

Willingham receives $6 million for the 2011 season, Kouzmanoff $4.75 million and Braden $3.35 million.

The A’s acquired Willingham in a trade last month with Washington that sent a pair of prospects to the Nationals. He is expected to start in one of the corner outfield spots. Braden, an 11-game winner in 2010, became a national name after pitching a perfect game May 9 against Tampa Bay.

Reliever Craig Breslow is Oakland’s lone remaining arbitration-eligible player yet to agree on a contract after right-hander Brad Ziegler received a $1.25 million, one-year deal Saturday.

White Sox reach contracts with Danks, Quentin

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago White Sox agreed Tuesday to one-year contracts with left-hander John Danks, outfielder Carlos Quentin and right-hander Tony Pena, avoiding arbitration with all three players.

Danks will make $6 million, Quentin $5.05 million and Pena $1.6 million.

Chicago also claimed right-hander Phil Humber off waivers from the Oakland Athletics.

Danks was 15-11 with a 3.72 ERA last season, setting a career high for wins. He limited batters to a .237 average.

Quentin batted .243 with 26 homers and 87 RBIs last season in 131 games.

Pena went 5-3 with a 5.10 ERA in 49 relief appearances and three starts. He led AL relievers with 81 2-3 innings.

Chicago avoided arbitration with all its eligible players.

Humber spent most of last season at Triple-A in the Kansas City organization but also appeared in eight games with the Royals, going 2-1 with a 4.15 ERA. He made one start.

He has pitched in 26 games over part of five major league seasons with the Mets, Twins and Royals, going 2-1 with a 5.26 ERA.

Blue Jays agree with three

TORONTO (AP) — Speedy outfielder Rajai Davis and the Toronto Blue Jays agreed Tuesday to a $5.75 million, two-year contract, while shortstop Yunel Escobar has settled on a $2.9 million, one-year deal and outfielder Brandon Morrow agreed at $2.3 million.

The agreements avoided salary arbitration.

Davis gets $2.5 million this year and $2.75 million in 2012. Toronto holds a $3 million option for 2013 with a $500,000 buyout.

The 30-year-old hit .284 with five homers, 52 RBIs and 50 steals for Oakland last season, then was dealt to Toronto in November for a pair of minor leaguers.

The 28-year-old Escobar was acquired from Atlanta on July 13, then hit .275 with four homers and 16 RBIs.

Morrow, 26, was 10-7 with a 4.49 ERA in his first season as a fulltime starter. He came within one out of a no-hitter against Tampa Bay on Aug. 8, when Evan Longoria broke up the bid. Still, Morrow became just the fourth pitcher since 1954 to strike out 17 in a one-hitter.

On Monday, Toronto agreed to one-year deals with pitchers Shawn Camp ($2.25 million), Casey Janssen ($1,095,000) and Jesse Litsch ($830,000).

Toronto has two players remaining in arbitration: major league home run champion Jose Bautista, and pitcher Jason Frasor.

Twins, Capps reach deal

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Twins have avoided salary arbitration with a pair of relief pitchers, agreeing to one-year contracts with right-hander Matt Capps for $7.15 million and left-hander Glen Perkins for $700,000.

The Twins announced the deals on Tuesday, when major league teams were to exchange proposed 2011 salaries with their players in arbitration. Left-hander Francisco Liriano, right-hander Kevin Slowey and left fielder Delmon Young also are in arbitration this year.

Capps came to Minnesota in a trade last July with the Washington Nationals, posting a 2.00 ERA over 27 innings with 16 saves for the Twins. With the expected return of Joe Nathan from elbow surgery, Capps gives the Twins two established closers to anchor their bullpen.

Bourn signs with Astros

HOUSTON (AP) — Center fielder Michael Bourn has agreed to a $4.4 million, one-year contract with the Houston Astros, who also reached deals with infielders Clint Barmes at $3,925,000 and Jeff Keppinger at $2.3 million.

Tuesday’s agreements avoided salary arbitration.

Bourn hit .265 with 25 doubles, a career-high 38 RBIs and a league-leading 52 steals last season for Houston. Bourn earned his second Gold Glove in 2010 and leads the majors with 154 stolen bases since 2008.

Barmes came to Houston in a November trade from Colorado and is expected to play shortstop for the Astros. He has hit .254 with 61 homers and 285 RBIs since 2003 with the Rockies.

Keppinger hit .288 with six home runs and 59 RBIs in 137 games for Houston last season.

Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.