"Alex Rodriguez received a cortisone shot in his sprained left thumb on Monday, and the superstar third baseman has been told by doctors not to swing a bat right now.

Rodriguez thinks the earliest he'll be able to swing is tomorrow, which is the Yankees' series finale against the Red Sox at Fenway Park. Most likely, the first day he could play would be Friday at Yankee Stadium against Toronto.

So, odds are, A-Rod will sit out this critical series against the Red Sox, one that will impact the AL East now and, potentially, in the final standings. He called sitting out against the Sox "miserable."

"It's so frustrating to come here, it's the last time we come here for the regular season," A-Rod said before the Yankees' 5-2 victory over the Red Sox last night. "It hurts like hell just to sit on the sidelines watching.""