CLEVELAND (AP) - Jorge Posada is going to play with a sore left knee for as long as he can.
The 38-year-old returned to the New York Yankees’ lineup Wednesday night after missing one game. Instead of playing catcher, he was the designated hitter.
“It’s something I’ve dealt with off and on since 2006,” Posada said of the soreness. “Usually, once I get loose, I’m fine.”
Posada was in the lineup as the catcher on Tuesday night, before manager Joe Girardi replaced him with Francisco Cervelli a few minutes before game time.
“When he’s the DH it doesn’t bother him,” Girardi said. “We’ll give him a day here or there of rest, too.”
Posada said he has a small cyst behind the knee and doesn’t think he will need surgery.
“I’ve felt it for a few years now, usually in the later part of the season,” the five-time All-Star said. “It comes and goes, it is not a specific thing that I do that causes it. I can’t tell you when it happened or how it happened to make it flare up this time.”
Posada has caught 1,532 games, third on the Yankees behind Hall of Famers Bill Dickey, 1,708 and Yogi Berra, 1,632. He has played in 1,663 games overall and has 255 homers, 1,002 RBI and a .277 average. He got his 1000th RBI on Friday night.
“This is just the wear and tear of catching,” Posada said.
Posada went 1 for 3 with a run in the Yankees’ 3-2 win Monday night. He is hitting .269 with 12 homers and 38 RBIs in 69 games this season.
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