NEW YORK -- New York Yankees outfielder Curtis Granderson appeared in his first regular-season game on Tuesday, but did so in an unfamiliar position.

Granderson, out since fracturing his forearm in his first spring training at-bat, was activated prior to Tuesday night's game against the Seattle Mariners. Yankees manager Joe Girardi put Granderson in left field and batted him cleanup.

"I'm as ready as I can be for that," Granderson said.

Granderson was flawless in the outfield in the Yankees' 4-3 victory against Seattle. At the plate, he went 0-for-3, but did score a run.

During his minor league rehab, Granderson played both right and left, as well as center. He said his biggest adjustment will be dealing with major league stadium lights. Granderson played left field briefly as a member of the Detroit Tigers early in his career.

Even with Granderson returning, the Yankees still had more negative injury news. An MRI on Travis Hafner's right shoulder revealed tendinits. Though Hafner thinks he will be out until at least Thursday, he was pleased the injury was not worse.

"That was pretty much the best-case scenario," Hafner said.

Hafner, who will turn 36 next month, has only played more than 100 games in a season once since 2008. He entered Tuesday with the Yankees' second best OPS at .893.

"It came out as good as we could have hoped for," Girardi said after the game. "He's going to be OK."

Since the spring, the Yankees have gone back and forth trying to decide if they wanted to move Granderson from his previously regular position in center field. Ultimately, they decided the team would be better defensively with the faster Brett Gardner manning the middle of the outfield.