CINCINNATI -- AJ McCarron has been told by doctors that he is "day to day" with an injury, the nature of which he declined to divulge Wednesday afternoon.

At this point, it remains unclear whether the backup Cincinnati Bengals quarterback will play in Friday night's preseason opener at Paul Brown Stadium against the New York Giants.

"I'm trying to push to play, but I'm also going to take the advice of the doctors," McCarron said. "What they feel is best, that's what I'll do."

McCarron missed Tuesday's joint practice with the Giants after experiencing a "freak accident" early in Monday's practice that featured only the Bengals. He indicated the injury had nothing to do with the right shoulder issue that placed him on a series of injury lists last season. He came off the physically unable to perform list late in the season in order to go through a few practices.

"People don't need to worry about my shoulder," McCarron said. "My shoulder's great."

Although McCarron declined to specify what was happening with him this time, he did say that the injury "comes from torquing," and that baseball pitchers normally develop it. Injuries caused by torquing might indicate an ailment to McCarron's side.

Regardless of what the issue is, the quarterback called this a minor setback.

What makes this injury so intriguing is that McCarron has been expected to get the majority of snaps at quarterback in Friday's game. Starter Andy Dalton probably is looking at only one or two series in the contest. If McCarron doesn't play, third- and fourth-team quarterbacks Josh Johnson and Keith Wenning will get the bulk of the snaps.

"I know it's important [to play], but like the guys have been telling me and the coaches I've talked to have said, if I'm not 100 percent there then there's no reason to push it," McCarron said. "I'm bummed out over it, but I'm just taking their advice and doing what they're telling me to do.

"I want to play because that's just who I am. I hate sitting out."