MLB

Brett Gardner is hobbled by ankle

Brett Gardner woke up Sunday and felt the one thing he wanted to avoid: pain in his right ankle, off which he fouled a ball on Saturday.

The Yankee outfielder, who didn’t play Sunday, is “hopeful” but “not confident” of playing Monday in a makeup game at Kansas City.

“It didn’t feel good [Saturday] after I got hit and then obviously during the game it didn’t necessarily [feel good]. Wrapped it up and played the rest of the game,” Gardner said after the Yankees’ 7-4, 10-inning victory over the White Sox on Sunday. “I was disappointed how it felt when I woke up, but hopefully it feels better tomorrow.

“I’m hopeful but I’m not confident considering how I felt today,” Gardner said of facing the Royals. “I’m hopeful it feels better and I play. Got treatment today. Iced it a lot tried to calm it down, wrapped it real good for the flight so it doesn’t swell up.”

Manager Joe Girardi, who also initially held out Jacoby Ellsbury before inserting him in the seventh, started Ichiro Suzuki in center and Martin Prado for Gardner in left. Girardi said Gardner’s status is a wait-and-see situation.

“I don’t know if I’ll have him [Monday]. He hit the ball off his ankle and it was actually almost bloody. It’s swollen,” said Girardi, noting X-rays were negative.