"If the Yankees were in the midst of a playoff push or in the postseason, third baseman Alex Rodriguez said he would have been in the lineup tonight.

Erring on the side of extreme caution, Rodriguez sat out for a sixth consecutive game, missing the opener of a three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium with a sprained left thumb.

He took a full batting practice and fielded ground balls today, intensifying his workload from the previous day, and expects to return to the lineup Saturday afternoon.

"This is probably the most conservative approach we've taken," Rodriguez said before the game. "I think we realize that the next two months are the most important ones. Once we see the green light, we just don't want to come back and have any more setbacks."