By GEORGE A. KING III

Last updated: 7:05 am
June 27, 2008
Posted: 3:52 am
June 27, 2008

PITTSBURGH - One way to get Sidney Ponson on the roster today is to put Hideki Matsui on the disabled list.

"It's always a possibility," Girardi said of shelving Matsui, who is hobbled by a bothersome left knee and will be examined by a doctor today. "You don't want it to come to that, but if it's in the best interest of the club, we will talk about it."

Matsui said the knee is improving daily and feels that he could DH today in the first game against the Mets at the Stadium. And he said he isn't that far away from returning to the outfield. He hasn't played there since June 15.

"I think I could, but it wouldn't be a good idea right now," said Matsui, who was tied for third in the AL batting race going into last night's action with a .323 average.

The Yankees need the spot to activate Ponson, who was released by the pitching-poor Rangers.

There are other avenues available to them. They could send Dan Giese, the Game 1 starter, to the minors after he pitches. But if Giese performs well, he likely will stay.

The Yankees could do something with the struggling LaTroy Hawkins, with the plan to elevate David Robertson from Scranton / Wilkes-Barre (Triple-A) to take his spot.

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According to Mike Mussina, who pitched two innings last night before the game was rained out, MLB talked to the Pirates about shifting last night's game to a day game after the Yankees and Mets agreed to a day-night doubleheader today to make up a game rained out May 16 at Yankee Stadium.

"The league asked," Mussina said. "It would have helped. We didn't play at 1 o'clock, it was a beautiful day."

Mussina's next start is Tuesday against Texas.

Giese, the Yankees' starter for the first game today, was at the Pittsburgh airport at 4 p.m. yesterday for his flight to New York when he was told the flight was delayed an hour. Giese went to Friday's for a burger and when he returned to the gate 30 minutes later he found the plane had left.

"They booked me on another flight, but the airport closed," said Giese, who returned to PNC Park and chartered home with the Yankees.