ST. LOUIS (AP) — New York Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira is out of the lineup for the third straight day because of soreness in his surgically repaired right wrist.

Brian McCann started at first base for the first time in his career and batted cleanup Wednesday night in the finale of an interleague series against the St. Louis Cardinals. McCann has four career innings experience at first base earlier this season in three games.

“I wouldn’t make too much of this today,” manager Joe Girardi said. “I’m not looking at this as being an option going forward right now.

“As I’ve said, sometimes as a manager you have to do some things that you don’t necessarily envision.”

Girardi said Kelly Johnson has struggled some at first base but absolved him of blame for one of the two errors that contributed to the Cardinals’ four-run third in a 6-0 loss Tuesday night. Johnson received an off-line throw and attempted to make a sweeping tag in the same motion, and the ball popped loose.

Shortstop Derek Jeter also was not in the lineup, getting a rest after eight straight starts with Brendan Ryan getting a spot start.

“I think he understood what I was trying to do,” manager Joe Girardi said. “We’re in another long streak here, a really long streak.”

Girardi said Tuesday it might make sense to rest Teixeira the entire series with a day off on Thursday providing additional time for the soreness to subside.

Johnson, who played first base the first two games, started at third base.

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