Joe Girardi

New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi (28) conducts an interview prior to the game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. (Gregory J. Fisher | USA Today Sports)

TORONTO - The Yankees shouldn't have had to play Monday. That's how manager Joe Girardi sees it.

Major League Baseball was asking too much of the Yankees to travel and play a game a immediately after it beat the Red Sox in a nationally televised contest that finished near midnight in Boston, Girardi said before Monday's game against the Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre.

"If you're traveling, you should have the day off," Girardi said.

It's not the first time Girardi has spoken out against being forced to travel and play right after an ESPN-sponsored Sunday night game that doesn't start until approximately 8 p.m., an hour later than most night games.

The manager said he's been vocal about his displeasure about the scheduling, though he hasn't hashed it out in a meeting with league officials.

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Players don't get enough rest between games, which leads to teams resting their stars, Girardi said.

And since the Yankees -- perhaps the game's most popular team -- play as many, if not more, Sunday night games than anybody, it affects them more than other squads, he said. The Yankees scheduled off days for catcher Brian McCann and first baseman Mark Teixeira Monday, but, Girardi said, that was just an effort to give them breathers after playing so many games straight.

"You're talking about wanting to keep your stars on the field," he said. "But, physically, it makes it really hard. And I understand. It's a big attraction. But I've got to believe if the Yankees are in Boston, or if Boston is in New York on a Sunday, it's a Sunday night game more times than not. Whoever's traveling should have the next day off."

In response to the scheduling, the Yankees tried something different Monday. They received permission from MLB to fly from Boston to Toronto on game day so that their players could try to stick to their regular sleep schedules. Typically, teams play day games if they're scheduled to play on the road the next day to prevent fatigue.

Girardi said he wasn't sure how the fast turnaround would affect his players. He added that it was too soon to tell whether spending the night in Boston as opposed to arriving in Toronto at approximately 4 or 5 a.m. would help them remain fresh.

"That's a hard thing to measure because everyone's going to determine how we feel on how we do," the manager said.

"I'll get the plus of everybody (Tuesday) and see what they think."

Brendan Kuty may be reached at bkuty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BrendanKutyNJ. Find NJ.com Yankees on Facebook.