It is looking more and more as if the Yankees are going to have to make the bulk of this stretch run with Nick Swisher and Steve Pearce splitting time at first base.

This afternoon, Joe Girardi confirmed what GM Brian Cashman said earlier in the day on SiriusXM radio -- that Mark Teixeira's calf strain is healing slower than expected, and that Tex is not likely to play again until the Yankees visit Toronto next Thursday at the earliest.

"I would not be surprised if it takes that long," Girardi said at the news conference after it was announced that Tuesday night's Yankees-Blue Jays game had been rained out. "I haven’t had a chance to talk to him today but as of Sunday he still had soreness. So it’s not progressing as quickly as we would like but we got to get him right."

Teixeira, who has played in just one game since Aug. 27, is batting .255 with 23 home runs and 81 RBIs, second-most on the team. He was diagnosed with a Grade 1 strain of the left calf on Aug. 28, but after sitting out 10 games he re-injured himself in his first game back, on Sept. 8, and has not played since.