New York Yankees catcher Jorge Posada wants to put off surgery on his right shoulder even if it means sacrificing the start of next season. If he does play the rest of this year, it won't be behind the plate.

On the disabled list for the second time this season, Posada had his throwing shoulder examined by New York Mets medical director Dr. David Altchek on Tuesday, and surgery was again recommended. An MRI showed fraying in the tendons around the labrum, but not a rotator cuff tear, Posada said yesterday before the Yankees played the Minnesota Twins.

He missed more than a month earlier this season with right rotator cuff tendinitis.

"I've got 15 days to make a decision," said Posada, who went on the DL Monday. "I'll rehab it and see how it feels and have a decision by then."

In his 14th season, Posada is extremely proud about being a full-time catcher his entire career. But he said that if he is to continue playing this season, catching is "out of the question" for the remainder of the year.

"It's not about me. It's about the team now, how can I help the team. That's why I'm going to go through the rehab," Posada said. "If I'm able to hit, I'm going to try to do that. If I'm not able to hit, I'm going to have surgery."

BRAVES

JONES, HUDSON HURT

Atlanta slugger Chipper Jones and ace Tim Hudson left last night's game against Florida with injuries, a pair of blows to the Braves' already slim playoff hopes.

Jones strained his left hamstring running out a ground ball in the fourth inning, and Hudson departed after throwing only 68 pitches because of tightness in his right elbow.

Hudson (11-7) pitched six shutout innings for the Braves, who went on to beat the Marlins, 9-4. He blamed the tender elbow on the eight to 10 splitters he threw and said he expects to make his next start as scheduled.

"I don't foresee it being that big of a deal," he said. "It doesn't feel too bad. It just feels like tight muscles."

Jones said he hopes to avoid the disabled list but may miss the start of the series against division co-leader Philadelphia beginning tomorrow.

"It's sore right now," he said. "Hopefully it feels a lot better and I'll be able to get in there in a couple of days. As of right now it doesn't look good."

ELSEWHERE

Brewers: Milwaukee purchased the contract of former major league outfielder Jay Gibbons from the Atlantic League's Long Island Ducks and will assign him to its Double-A affiliate in Huntsville, Ala. Gibbons, 31, was released by Baltimore after he batted .189 in 16 games in spring training.

Giants: San Francisco recalled catcher Steve Holm from Triple-A Fresno to be Bengie Molina's backup. Current backup Eliezer Alfonzo was optioned back to Fresno. He was batting .091 with one RBI in five games for the Giants since they called him up July 1.

Red Sox: Manny Ramirez was out of Boston's lineup yesterday against the Seattle Mariners with what his manager said was a sore knee. "Just showed up this morning. He just came in and said, 'My right knee hurts,' " manager Terry Francona said.