"Last month, Derek Jeter successfully lobbied his way into the lineup, wanting to finish his pursuit of 3,000 hits before the All-Star break.

With that milestone behind him, Jeter's powers of persuasion are not nearly as strong.

Joe Girardi held out Jeter for Monday night's series opener against the White Sox, giving the shortstop a chance to rest his right middle finger after he was drilled by a pitch on Sunday afternoon.

"He told me he felt better today, which I thought was good, but if I'm going to give him a day on this trip somewhere, today is probably the day to do it just because he was sore," Girardi said. "We had to bring him out of the game, so it just gives him a chance to heal."

Jeter - who was hit on the tip of the same finger while fielding a ball earlier in the weekend - said he was available to play Monday night, so he fully expects to be back in the lineup Tuesday night."