On a day the Yankees lost another outfielder, they received a small dose of encouraging news on Gary Sheffield’s injured left hand.

After being examined by Dr. Charles Melone yesterday, the right fielder and No. 3 hitter was cleared to swing off a batting tee for the first time since May 5, when he was forced out of the lineup and onto the disabled list.

Sheffield’s progress came hours after Bubba Crosby was placed on the 15-day DL with a strained right hamstring.

The Yankees promoted Mitch Jones, 28, to replace Crosby. It was the second time in eight days the Yankees dipped into Triple-A Columbus for an outfielder. Kevin Reese was elevated to replace Hideki Matsui.

According to Joe Torre, there is a chance Sheffield will take batting practice today. However, because Torre doesn’t know how the hand will respond, he wasn’t predicting when Sheffield would rejoin a lineup that sorely misses his production.

Torre ruled out Sheffield being ready by the end of the Red Sox series (Wednesday), but didn’t count out having him back when the Yankees open a three-game series in Detroit a week from Monday.

Jones was given the call despite a .239 batting average with the Clippers. That’s because Kevin Thompson has a hamstring problem and former big leaguer Terrance Long, signed Thursday, had played one game in 16 days.

Crosby said he didn’t believe it would take the full 15 days to be ready.

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While the news on Sheffield was good, the injury hex continued in the second inning last night when Yankee catcher Jorge Posada departed with a tight upper back.

Posada, who grounded out in the four-run first inning, took Randy Johnson’s warmup pitches before the home second. But when he went to throw the ball to second base, Posada pulled his arm down and indicated to the dugout that something was bothering him on the right side.

Kelly Stinnett replaced Posada.

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Brian Bannister‘s MRI exam yesterday showed “that the hamstring has not fully healed,” Mets GM Omar Minaya said.

Bannister, who has been on the disabled list with a strained right hamstring, only could go against two hitters in his first rehab start Thursday for Triple-A Norfolk, and the Mets said he will head to Single-A Port St. Lucie.

Minaya said he was not sure when Bannister could return, and it appears Mike Pelfrey, the Double-A prize righty, could be here in his stead.

Pelfrey is slated to start today for Binghamton, and Minaya said he would do that. Pelfrey is 0-1 with a 4.15 ERA in four games at Binghamton, and Minaya said, “I’m not afraid to bring up a guy from Double-A.”

Pelfrey, 22, had a 1.64 ERA in four outings in high-A ball.

Another minor-league pitcher who could get the call is Cuban righty Alay Soler, who has a 2.75 ERA in three games at Binghamton. Soler pitched Friday and gave up two runs in seven innings, striking out eight.

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Johnny Damon‘s wife, Michelle, will go with him to Boston next week. Michelle didn’t accompany her husband to Boston earlier this month because Johnny was wary of her having to hear the Fenway Park fans. . . . David Wright is expected to be miked by Fox during today’s game.