Yankees slugger and third baseman Alex Rodriguez, who has not played at all this season, has been cleared to begin a minor league rehab stint on July 1st, according to the New York Daily News. He will likely start by facing game action in the minor leagues.
According to the the New York Daily News source, “He has been told by the medical staff in Tampa that he can begin playing in games on July 1.He is so excited to get into games. He wants to prove something to himself.”
Rodriguez has been sidelined all season long due to surgery he underwent on his left hip, back in January. At the time of the Surgery it was projected that A-Rod would be back after the All-Star Break. With Yankees GM Brian Cashman saying that Rodriguez would need about 20 games in the minors before being ready for the major leagues, it seems as though baseball’s highest paid player is on schedule.
Rodriguez, 37, hit .272/.353/.430 with 18 homers and 57 RBIs in 122 games last season.
The Yankees will hope he can come back and be a better player than he was in 2012. The team is already missing key players such as shortstop Derek Jeter (ankle), first baseman Mark Teixeira, center fielder Curtis Granderson (finger) and third baseman/first baseman Kevin Youkilis (back). Despite all the injuries, the team sits at 41-34, just 2 1/2 games behind Boston for first place in the American League East.
Hanging over all of this though, is the Biogenesis Investigation. Rodriguez has allegedly been linked to the clinic, and allegedly received illegal performance enhancing drugs from Biogenesis. MLB offiicials continue to investigate, and suspensions to A-Rod, amongst others, are very much a possibility.
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