Kevin Youkilis is back in the Yankees’ lineup this afternoon for the first time in a week, reports Dan Barbarisi of the Wall Street Journal.
Youkilis missed his sixth straight game yesterday due to lower back tightness, which led to a potential stint on the disabled list, but he was cleared to return after he made it through batting practice this afternoon without incident. He’s starting at first base this afternoon against the Blue Jays while Jayson Nix is playing third.
Youkilis is hitting .259 (17-for-61) with two homers, seven RBI and a .796 OPS through 16 games this season. Due to a wide variety of injuries, the 34-year-old has averaged just 120 games played over the past four seasons.
