NEW YORK -- It's times like these when the Yankees seem to miss Mark Teixeira the most, as they've faced left-handed pitchers in four of their last five games and are expected to see two more on Wednesday and Thursday against the Red Sox. Teixeira was a reliable switch-hitter who consistently gave the Yankees an extra right-hander in the lineup.
With the left-handed-hitting Greg Bird assuming first-base duties in Teixeira's absence, the Yanks are looking to experiment with other right-handed options at first when opponents start a southpaw. On Tuesday, catcher John Ryan Murphy did early work at first, taking ground balls and getting acclimated to something that is brand new.