NEW YORK -- As it turns out, Darrell Rasner's time on the Yankees' Major League roster would have been up after Saturday's start no matter what, with his next destination intended to be a return trip to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

But the Yankees, who need to clear room for Sunday's starter, Tyler Clippard, will send Rasner to the disabled list instead. The rookie right-hander will miss up to three months after suffering a fractured right index finger in Saturday's start against the Mets.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said that Rasner left Shea Stadium under medical attention and could require emergency surgery on either Saturday or Sunday.

"Obviously, it turned out to be a pretty bad break," Cashman said.

Rasner's sixth start of the season lasted just nine pitches. The Mets' second batter, Endy Chavez, stroked a one-hop bouncer back to the mound, clipping Rasner on his pitching hand.

Rasner briefly attempted to stay in the game, throwing several pitches under the supervision of Yankees trainer Gene Monahan, manager Joe Torre and pitching coach Ron Guidry, but he left the field in obvious pain after his final pitch.

"He threw the fastball when we went out there, and he [felt] the stitches of the ball on the back of the index finger," Torre said. "Then he threw a couple fastballs and a curveball, but when he tried to throw a splitter, that's when he really felt it. He didn't do any more damage to it, he just felt it."

Mike Myers relieved Rasner, who becomes just the latest casualty in a season beset by injuries to starting pitchers. Phil Hughes, Mike Mussina and Chien-Ming Wang have been sidelined with hamstring injuries, and Carl Pavano is on the shelf with elbow discomfort that may require season-ending Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery.

Jeff Karstens missed the beginning of the season with right elbow tendinitis and left his second start in similar fashion to Rasner, suffering a broken right leg when he was struck by a Julio Lugo line drive on April 28 against the Red Sox.

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Rasner was one of six rookies to make a start for the Yankees this season and one of 10 starters in all. An 11th starter -- right-hander Clippard, a Triple-A callup -- is slated to make his Major League debut against the Mets on Sunday.

"It's got to change at some point -- that's the bottom line," Cashman said. "It seems like anything and everything that could have happened so far has happened. Logic states that that's going to change. We'll see."