"Russell Martin's return to the lineup yesterday was brutal, and his recent performance combined with his physical condition is becoming distressing.

Martin had missed four games with a sore back, but the Yankees catcher felt fine in pregame work yesterday and thus was in the starting lineup. While he deserves credit for catching Freddy Garcia's gem in the Bombers' 9-1 win over the Indians, the backstop suffered through one of the worst games imaginable.

Martin went 0-for-4 with a strikeout and two inning-ending double plays, one with the bases loaded. He made six outs in four at-bats. Defensively, the Indians were 5-for-5 on stolen bases.

"He looked OK. He looked a little rusty," manager Joe Girardi said of Martin. "We'll see how he feels [today]."

Physically, Martin labeled his back as "all right." He admitted, "It's still there a little bit," but said, "I can do enough to get the job done.""