DENVER -- Andy Phillips' mother is walking around and asking about what her next model vehicle should be. His wife is overseas in Belize, performing missionary work.

Now, Phillips can add to the positive feelings that are swimming through the family after two trying years. Phillips earned a Major League job to call his own again on Tuesday, joining the Yankees with designs as the new starting first baseman.

"Life is good," Phillips said.

Phillips, who called this his most rewarding experience as a professional, spent more than two months playing for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees, the organization's Triple-A affiliate in Moosic, Pa.

Batting .301 with 11 homers and 36 RBIs, Phillips was playing well again -- mostly at second base -- and had put his assorted off-field issues, like his wife's battle with cancer and this spring's critical car accident involving his mother, Linda, behind him.

Informed late Monday that his contract had been purchased and that he was headed to the Major Leagues, Phillips learned after arriving at Coors Field that he has now become the Yankees' everyday first baseman.

"I didn't realize how emotional I would be," Phillips said. "You start thinking about it and everything that's gone on the last two years personally, you certainly think about what it's going to be like to get that opportunity. Then they tell you, and you try to make a phone call to talk to your parents or wife, and you can't even talk."

In order to create room for Phillips on the roster, the Yankees designated first baseman Josh Phelps for assignment. Phelps had beaten out Phillips for the job with a torrid offensive Spring Training, taking advantage of an extended opportunity created by Phillips' prolonged return to Birmingham, Ala., to be by his mother's side.

But of late, Phelps had been struggling both offensively and defensively, Yankees manager Joe Torre said. Passed over as the starting first baseman after Doug Mientkiewicz was lost to injury, Phelps was batting .263 with two home runs and 12 RBIs in 36 games.

As a Rule 5 Draft selection, Phelps must now be offered back to the Baltimore Orioles -- the club he was drafted from -- for $25,000, half the price the Yankees paid to claim the 28-year-old infielder.

Torre said that the decision was "very difficult," but he and general manager Brian Cashman agreed to essentially swap out Phelps for Phillips late Monday before leaving New York for Colorado. Phelps traveled with the club to Denver, and his equipment was still in the Yankees' clubhouse before the game.

Torre said that Phillips' primary advantage over Phelps was based upon defensive considerations.

"My recollection of Philly is pretty darned good over there at first base," Torre said.

The move means that Miguel Cairo, who had excelled as a fill-in first baseman, will return to his regular role as a utility infielder. Torre had concerns that the Yankees might be "pushing the envelope" with regard to Cairo, who had started seven consecutive games at first base.

Posada in, reluctantly: Jorge Posada had one message of warning for the Yankees' infield in pregame workouts on Tuesday -- don't bounce the ball; please, hit him in the chest.

Naturally, the left side of the infield -- shortstop Derek Jeter in particular -- then proceeded to bounce every practice throw they could to Posada, who was putting in some last-minute drill work to prepare for his first game of the season at first base and his first start there since June 25, 2001, against the Indians.

"I'm not looking forward to it," Posada said. "I'm just going to do everything possible to do the job."

The arrangement could be for just one day, or at most two, on this trip. The Yankees want to keep Posada's potent bat in the lineup for games at National League parks, but Torre said the team does not want to disrupt the positive strides made by Tuesday's starter, Mike Mussina, with new personal catcher Wil Nieves.

"I feel enough to get back out there," Posada said. "I want to be in the game. I had a day off [Monday], and Moose is comfortable with Wil. It's perfect."

Posada said that he has worked with bench coach Don Mattingly to refresh some finer points of first base play, and that he will look to Mattingly to guide him during Tuesday's game.

"They asked me, and I said I would," Posada said. "This is as comfortable as I'm going to get. I haven't played there in a while."

Out of the outfield: Johnny Damon was not in the Yankees' starting lineup on Tuesday, but he did enter the game in the bottom of the seventh as a defensive replacement, taking over for Phillips at first base.

Damon has been hindered by what the club has termed a mild abdominal strain that limits him when he swings the bat. He homered on Sunday off the Mets' Orlando Hernandez but now appears to be saving his blows; Damon has been instructed to shy away from taking batting practice to protect his ribcage.

"I'm not too overly concerned," Damon said.

In the meantime, Melky Cabrera is expected to continue as the Yankees' everyday center fielder.

Skip the trip: The Yankees haven't yet decided if left-hander Kei Igawa -- slated to pitch on Friday at San Francisco -- will join the club in Denver.

Both pitching coach Ron Guidry and Torre said that nothing is finalized, and though Guidry would like to see Igawa throw his side session before taking on the Giants, it may not be practical.

Torre suggested that the Yankees might prefer to keep an extra reliever for the Rockies series given the likelihood of high-scoring games at Coors Field. Igawa could always throw his bullpen under the supervision of the Triple-A staff.

Coming up: The Yankees will play the second game of their three-game series on Wednesday, with left-hander Andy Pettitte (4-4, 2.93 ERA) taking the mound for New York. Colorado will counter with left-hander Jeff Francis (6-5, 3.61 ERA), with first pitch set for 9:05 p.m. ET on the YES Network.