Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez returned to the lineup on Friday night against the Mariners, but left early because of his strained left calf. Rodriguez aggravated the injury swinging on the first pitch he saw from Seattle's Felix Hernandez in the bottom of the second inning. "I just felt something on my swing. Probably my first step out of the [batter's box]," Rodriguez said after the game. "I just felt the same stiffness I felt a few days ago." Austin Kearns replaced Rodriguez, who was New York's designated hitter, when his turn came up in the fourth inning. Rodriguez had missed three consecutive games and Yankees manager Joe Girardi expects him to rest the remainder of the Seattle series.