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Updated: May 19, 2011, 5:53 PM ET
Jorge Posada starts at first baseESPNNewYork.com
BALTIMORE -- Jorge Posada is back in the New York Yankees lineup, but not at DH.
Manager Joe Girardi has Posada in the field for the initial time this year -- at first base. Posada is batting seventh, followed by Nick Swisher and Brett Gardner. Mark Teixeira is DHing Thursday.
It was Swisher and Gardner who preceded Posada last Saturday when Posada pulled out of the game in which he was slotted to bat ninth. Girardi switched it up Thursday.
"I look at matchups and how he is swinging the bat," Girardi said. "And I just decided to hit him seventh. That's how I'm going to do it."
Posada entered Thursday 0-for-4 with two strikeouts and a walk against Baltimore starter Brad Bergesen.
Girardi said the move to put Posada at first was mostly designed to give Teixeira a semi-day off. Since Eric Chavez went on the DL, Girardi said he has had Posada take more ground balls.
"Jorge's been doing it," Girardi said.
Posada, who played first base twice in spring training, fully expects the ball to find him Thursday.
"It will," Posada said. "It always does. It happened in spring training."
Posada said the toughest aspect is knowing where to go on cutoffs.
"It's not easy," Posada said."You just have to think a little bit more."
The move by Girardi continues the trend of starting Posada exclusively against right-handed pitching.
With a lefty on the mound Wednesday, Posada sat.
Since Posada's sitdown strike on Saturday, he has started two of the Yankees' past four games. Both of his starts have been against right-handed pitching.
Posada is 0-for-24 against lefties on the season. Against righties, Posada is hitting .227 with six homers and 15 RBIs.
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If he is to keep his spot on the roster as a part-time DH/backup first baseman, then those numbers need to improve. The Yankees are planning to give Posada to the All-Star Break before reconsidering whether they need to make a move, a source told ESPN New York on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, a Yankees spokesman announced Chris Dickerson's CT scan came back negative. Dickerson was hit in the head Wednesday night by a pitch from Baltimore Orioles reliever Mike Gonzalez and left the game. Dickerson was down on the ground for about a minute as Girardi and trainers looked him over after the 93 mph fastball cracked his helmet. He was sent to the hospital for the test.
Andrew Marchand covers the Yankees for ESPNNewYork.com.