I think they just didn't want anything to get out of hand. I don't make anything of it. He was protecting Jeter; they thought we hit him. It was no big deal.

I think the fact that there was going to be lot of new things for me - new teammates, a new situation, everything. I wanted to get to know our hitting coach so I can establish my routine. Ultimately, six months of the season are a lot more important than three weeks.

As a competitor, I don't expect anything less than what I'm capable of doing. When you think you're underachieving, you feel you let others down. But trust me, I'm letting myself down more than anything else.

I think [Wednesday] was as close to a must-win game as you can get. But [Thursday]? You can definitely apply some pressure when you're one win away.

I don't think you can do anything with the numbers. You still have to have hand-eye coordination. You still have to hit the ball.

You don't want to aggravate (the hand). It's just a matter of letting it settle down. I think he'll be fine. He seems pretty confident (about playing Sunday). I can't say for sure because it's a day-to-day thing.