NewYork.Yankees.MLB.com

By Mark Feinsand / MLB.com

Derek Jeter reacts after being hit on the hand by Pedro Martinez in the first inning of the Yankees 2-1 victory Monday. (AP)

Both Alfonso Soriano and Derek Jeter were hit in the hands by Pedro Martinez pitches in the first inning on Monday, causing the two middle infielders to leave the game.

"It's a horrible feeling," said manager Joe Torre. "Any time you get hit where they got hit, there are so many easy bones to break. It was scary. For both of those guys to not fight coming out of a game, you know something is wrong."

Leading off the bottom of the first, Soriano saw a Martinez fastball heading up-and-in, prompting the All-Star second baseman to block his face with his left hand. Home plate umpire Ed Montague ruled that Soriano swung at the pitch, calling it a strike.

Soriano struck out one pitch later, and did not return when the Yankees took the field in the second inning, as Enrique Wilson took his place at second base.

Derek Jeter   /   SS
	Height: 6'3" Weight: 195 Bats/Throws: R/R More info: Player page Stats Splits Hit chart Yankees site

"I tried to swing, but the ball came toward my face. I got my hand in the way," Soriano said. "I stayed in, but it felt a lot of pain. I don't like to leave games, but I had pain in my hand."

Jeter stepped to the plate, falling behind Martinez, 1-2. The fifth pitch of the at-bat drilled Jeter in the right hand, as the shortstop jumped away from the batter's box, shaking his hand as he winced in pain. Jeter remained in the game, but left after the second inning.

"It started swelling up," Jeter said. "Fortunately, I didn't get any more ground balls, because I really couldn't squeeze a ball."

With both starting infielders out of the game, Torre was forced to shift some people around. Wilson moved from second to short, while Robin Ventura moved from third base to second, playing the position for the first time in his 15 big-league seasons.

	Alfonso Soriano   /   2B
			Height: 6'1" Weight: 180 Bats/Throws: R/R More info: Player page Stats Splits Hit chart texasrangers.com

"When we had all those Yankees on the All-Star team last year, Robin volunteered to play second," Torre said. "Today, I took him up on it."

"Ventura playing second base was weird," Wilson said, "but he did the job today."

Both Jeter and Soriano were taken to Manhattan's Beth Israel North Hospital for precautionary X-rays, which were negative. The two players were diagnosed with bone bruises and are listed as day-to-day.

"Thank goodness they're both negative," Torre said. "They're both bone bruises, so when they're ready to go, they'll play."

"I'll play as soon as possible. If I can play tomorrow, I will," Jeter said. "I'm not going to sit around and wait for it to be 100 percent. You get hit a lot, so it's probably going to be sore for a few weeks. As long as it's not broken, I can deal with the pain."

"I'm OK. It won't be a problem," Soriano said. "We'll see how I feel tomorrow. If I feel good, maybe I'll play."

Neither Jeter nor Soriano said that they thought Martinez was intentionally trying to hit them.

"He pitches inside. That's his plan, so it's not like it just got away from him," Jeter said. "I'm not saying he's trying to injure people, but he tries to back people off the plate."

Martinez said that he had no intention to hit either player.

"No, are you crazy? The guys are right on top of the plate. You have to pitch them inside," Martinez said. "Those pitches weren't really, really in to hit Soriano with any intention, or Jeter. If I was to hit him, I would hit him with just one pitch. I don't think I'd miss. It was just an accident."

Wilson, who replaced Soriano and then Jeter, went 2-for-3, doubling in both of his at-bats against Martinez. He also scored the tying run on Jason Giambi's sixth-inning single.

"I'm ready all the time," Wilson said. "When you lose players like Jeter and Soriano, you try to step up and do the job for the team. Every time I go out there, I want to help my team win."

Mark Feinsand is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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