• Hiroki Kuroda, who got hit with a line drive off the left foot in Friday night's game against the Mets, ran some sprints in the Turner Field outfield this afternoon and threw "a light bullpen session'' in preparation for his start in Wednesday's series finale against the Braves. "I felt fine on both of them,'' Kuroda said. "So I think I'm ready to go.''

• It's unclear whether Rafael Soriano, who suffered a blister on his index finger while pitching against the Mets on Sunday afternoon, would be available tonight. Soriano was not available to close Monday night and Joe Girardi had said after the game that he wold check with his closer before tonight's game. As of 5 p.m., Girardi still could not give a definitive answer. "I’m not sure,'' the manager said. "I’m going to let him play catch and see how it feels today and we’ll go from there.''

• If Soriano cannot go, the Yankees will be especially short in the bullpen tonight since Girardi said he would be "inclined'' not to use Boone Logan, Cory Wade or Clay Rapada. Wade and Rapada have worked three games in a row and Logan two. "I got to see how they feel,'' Girardi said. "But my inkling is to stay away from them. We’re going to need some distance out of CC (Sabathia) and some other guys are going to have to help us out."

• Sabathia, tonight's starter, has gone seven innings in each of his past four starts, including a loss to the Tampa Bay Rays his last time out. Sabathia is 1-1 lifetime vs. the Braves with a 3.24 ERA, and won his only start at Turner Field, pitching 8-1/3 innings of two-run ball on August 2, 2008, as a member of the Milwaukee Brewers. The Yankees have never faced LHP Mike Minor, the Braves' starter tonight.