YANKEE NOTES

Robinson Cano’s spot on the bench last night had more to do with Joe Torre’s desire to get Miguel Cairo into a game than it did with resting Cano’s red-hot bat against D-Rays lefty Scott Kazmir.

“He doesn’t need a day off,” Torre said of Cano, who is riding a 12-game hitting streak, the longest by a Yankee this season. “Cairo needs a day to play. If you are going to do it, you do it against a tough left-hander even though [Cano] doesn’t care if it’s a righty or lefty.”

Cano, who was 0-for-3 against Kazmir, was batting .333 (7-for-21) against lefties and .357 (15-for-42) versus righties.

Cairo rewarded Torre’s confidence in the Yankees’ 9-1 rout with a 2-for-3 night that included two doubles, a walk and a run scored. Cairo was picked off second base by Kazmir after he led off the bottom of the second with a double.

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Andy Phillips started his second straight game (and fourth in five) at first base last night. According to Torre, Carlos Pena hovering at Triple-A as a possible backup first baseman hasn’t been a factor in Phillips’ starting.

“This has nothing to do with Carlos Pena,” Torre said of the left-handed hitting first baseman, who was batting .200 (3-for-15) for Columbus going into last night’s action. “In order for Philly to help us, he needs at-bats.”

In his three previous starts, Phillips was 2-for-7 (.286). With the Devil Rays staring lefty Mark Hendrickson tomorrow night, expect Phillips to start at first and Jason Giambi to be the DH.

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Carl Pavano (bruised buttocks) threw two innings of controlled batting practice yesterday in Tampa, totaling 30 pitches. Torre said Pavano could return in June.

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Aaron Small (hamstring) is slated to start for Columbus tomorrow. . . . Octavio Dotel, who was shut down from mound work last week, is scheduled to throw on flat ground today.