New York Yankees: Yankees first baseman Jason Giambi was scratched from Wednesday's game against Atlanta because of abdominal muscle stiffness.

"When it's all out of there, he'll play,'' Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "Obviously we'll be as conservative as we need to be,'' Yankees manager Joe Torre said.

Giambi felt discomfort after homering in Tuesday's game against Boston.

"I felt it when I went around the bases,'' Giambi said Wednesday. "It started to tighten up after the game. If it was a regular-season game, I think I'd be fine.''

Giambi took some swings in the batting cage Wednesday, then told Torre about the injury.

"Joe just pulled the plug and said not to mess with it,'' Giambi said. "It's just when I hit. When I throw and everything else is fine. It's nothing serious. We don't want to play with it and make it worse.''

In four games this spring, Giambi is hitting .273 with one homer and two RBI.

Yankees designated hitter-first baseman Nick Johnson, who has been sidelined by a sore left wrist, took batting practice against live pitching for the first time.

Torre said Johnson should make his spring debut as a designated hitter in Friday's game against Minnesota.

Johnson is using a pad on the wrist and has just minor pain.

Tampa Bay Devil Rays: Nick Bierbrodt pitched two perfect innings Wednesday in first appearance since he was shot last June, and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates 11-8.

Bierbrodt, who had been optioned to Class A Charleston (S.C.), was sitting in a taxi waiting in a drive-through line at a fast food restaurant last June 7 when he was shot in the chest and right arm.

The left-hander retired all six batters he faced Wednesday. In spring training last year, he walked 12 of 28 batters he faced, hit four and threw two wild pitches. But he allowed just one hit.

"All I was thinking about was getting the ball over the plate,'' Bierbrodt said. "I wanted to just go back to how it used to be before last year, go out and throw strikes and just have fun. I did have fun. It's a good start for me.''

Reggie Sanders, Kevin Young and J.J. Davis homered during a four-run sixth inning, and Brian Giles had a three-run homer for the Pirates.

Chicago Cubs: Just when infielder Mark Grudzielanek recovered from one sprain in his right ankle, he was sidelined by another.

Grudzielanek will be out for several days, at least, after spraining his ankle in a home-plate collision with Anaheim catcher Bengie Molina. Grudzielanek sprained the same ankle earlier in spring training, but the latest injury is in a different spot.

"It's irritating," he said Wednesday. "Two freaky accidents within two weeks of each other."

X-rays didn't show any breaks, but Grudzielanek was walking gingerly and with a cane when he came into the clubhouse. He's trying to avoid putting any weight on the ankle, and will have a better idea of how long he'll be out in a few days.

The Cubs also are awaiting word on whether backup third baseman Kevin Orie will need surgery. Orie has been bothered by a sore shoulder all spring, and tests showed he might have a torn labrum.

If Orie needs surgery, he'd likely miss 4-to-6 months.

Toronto Blue Jays: Roy Halladay pitched three perfect innings and Josh Phelps homered Wednesday as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Cincinnati Reds 10-3.

At 5-0, Toronto is the only team still unbeaten during the spring training season.

Phelps, who has been bothered by right knee problems, went 2-for-4, homering in his first at-bat this spring.

"Some kid will get a souvenir at recess,'' Phelps said after his home run landed in the school yard behind the left-field fence. "It kind of made me giggle, being lucky in my first at-bat. But my main objective was to be pain free, and I was. It was no problem running the bases, especially when you get a jog.''

Halladay didn't allow a ball out of the infield, throwing 21 of 31 pitches for strikes.

"He had a good fastball and slider,'' Blue Jays manager Carlos Tosca said. "He threw the ball where he wanted to throw it.''