Olerud leaves Game 3 with bruised instep

BOSTON (AP) -- New York Yankees first baseman John Olerud left Game 3 of the AL championship series with a bruised left instep, and said he was not certain if he'd be ready to play Sunday.

"It's sore," Olerud said after the Yankees routed the Boston Red Sox 19-8 Saturday night and took a 3-0 series lead. X-rays of the foot were negative.

The knob of Olerud's bat apparently struck the inside of his foot as he stumbled out of the batter's box after grounding to shortstop to end the top of the sixth inning.

"I'm not really sure what happened," said Olerud, who had not seen a replay. "I guess I just dropped the bat on it, or somehow I got tangled up with the bat on my way out of the batter's box."

He said trainers were trying to keep down the swelling.

"We'll see how everything feels tomorrow," he said. "As far as they can tell, it's just going to be a bad bruise."

Olerud was 0-for-4. He was replaced on defense by Tony Clark in the bottom of he sixth.

It's been quite a week for Olerud, who hit a two-run homer off Pedro Martinez to help the Yankees win 3-1 in Game 2 on Wednesday night.

His wife, Kelly, was watching from the stands. The next morning, she gave birth to their third child. Jessica Olerud weighed 7 pounds, 11 ounces.

Released by Seattle on July 27, Olerud signed with the Yankees soon after and has filled in admirably at first base for ailing slugger Jason Giambi.