--C Jorge Posada was in the lineup at first base Sunday as manager Joe Girardi tried to find a way to combat Mets' LHP Oliver Perez. Posada has expressed his preference to remain a catcher in the past and Girardi said he still considers him one, but the manager said he expected his players to adjust when needed.

--RHP Sidney Ponson, who threw six shutout innings in his first start for the Yankees on Friday, will be given another shot. Ponson was named as the starting pitcher for Wednesday's game against Texas. That could get interesting considering the Rangers released Ponson earlier this month because they felt he was too disruptive.

--DH Hideki Matsui might need surgery, the Yankees admitted over the weekend. With Matsui on the disabled list due to a left knee ailment, he's said he hopes to return quickly. But manager Joe Girardi and general manager Brian Cashman admitted surgery could be possible, though Cashman labeled it a "last resort."

--RHP Phil Hughes, who's been out most of the season with a fractured rib, is about three weeks from pitching in a minor-league rehab game, manager Joe Girardi told reporters over the weekend. The timetable for Hughes to return to the big leagues is about two months, the manager said.

--IF Wilson Betemit got a rare start at second base as manager Joe Girardi went with a heavy dose of right-handed hitters against Mets lefty Oliver Perez. The switch-hitting Betemit replaced Robinson Cano and did a good job early with a home run, but struck out against lefty closer Billy Wagner to end the game.

BY THE NUMBERS: 5-1/2 -- Number of games by which the Yankees trailed the first-place Red Sox in the standings on June 29. The rivals will square off in a four-game series at Yankee Stadium.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "I've got to make the most of it. It is a fresh start." -- Sidney Ponson, after throwing six shutout innings in the Yankees' win over the Mets on Friday. Ponson had been let go by Texas before the Yankees gave him a shot.