Mark Teixeira was scratched before Monday’s game after he became light-headed about an hour before game time.
“I felt fine all day,” Teixeira said after the Yankees beat the Tigers 2-1 in The Bronx. “All of a sudden I was really dizzy, nauseous. The room started spinning.”
He isn’t sure what brought it on, but both Teixeira and Joe Girardi expect him to be back in the lineup Tuesday after the first baseman received two IVs during the game.
Teixeira was replaced at first base by Chase Headley, who only had played three innings previously at the position in the majors. Martin Prado moved to third base, with Ichiro Suzuki inserted into the lineup in right field.
“I had kind of given Headley a heads-up since he’s been here he might go over to first,” Girardi said. “I told Chase today he’d probably get a day at first base. I didn’t know I’d be telling him at 6:15 it would be today.”
Headley was fine defensively, although he was unable to stay on the base for Prado’s high throw in the fifth.
“It had been a long time since I’d been over there,” Headley said. “You just do what you can. Hopefully we get [Teixeira] back soon.”
Teixeira has also missed time this season with soreness in his surgically repaired right wrist, a strained lat muscle, a tight right hamstring, as well as back spasms.
Brett Gardner was named AL Player of the Week on Monday after hitting .478 (11-for-23) with three doubles, five homers, seven RBIs, five walks and eight runs in six games. He added two more hits Monday.
“I just have to stay aggressive,” said Gardner, who knows he’s not going to keep hitting home runs like he has lately. “I’m capable of hitting the ball over the fence, but they don’t expect me to stay at that pace. If I get to 15-20 homers, that’s great. If I get on base 35 or 36 percent of the time, I’m doing my job.”
Joba Chamberlain made his return to The Bronx Monday with the Tigers.
“New York is always going to have a special place in my heart,” Chamberlain said. “I had some great years, some terrible years, but I always gave everything I had. I wouldn’t change anything for anything, good bad or indifferent.”
He was also sporting a formidable beard, one he’s been growing since spring training.
“I guess when you’re told to shave every day and then realize you don’t have to, that’s enough of that,” Chamberlain said.
Derek Jeter’s third-inning single brought him within three hits of tying Honus Wagner for sixth all-time.
—Additional reporting by Larry Brooks