Teixeira (finger) took soft toss in the batting cages Saturday but suggested he'll need to see improvement before he can think about playing, the New York Daily News reports. "Probably 50 percent, but obviously that's not going to get the job done" Teixeira said. "It's not the cut. The cut is -- I don't want to say irrelevant -- but it's the joint that's really, really sore. So whether it was sprained or bruised -- we're not really sure -- the joint is really sore. The cut you just wrap and play, (with) the joint I can't grip a bat." Manager Joe Girardi, meanwhile, said Teixeira is "definitely closer than he was (Friday)" and added that it's possible he could be available in some capacity Sunday. However, with the 34-year-old still not capable of gripping a bat, it seems likely he'll remain on the bench for the finale against Cleveland. The Yankees will continue to monitor Teixeira on a day-to-day basis, but a DL stint remains a possibility if he is unable to make sufficient progress by the middle of next week.