Untitled Page

Alex Rodriguez News & Rumors

A-Rod: I'm no full-time DH
January 20
New York Post
 
"Alex Rodriguez said he doesn't plan on being the permanent solution to Yankees' vacancy at designated hitter. "I think the vision for us as a team is now ... you want the DH spot to be one that's kind of a revolving door," Rodriguez told ESPNdeportes. "I think a lot of us at some point or another, in such a long season, are going occupy that spot. "But for me, I'm really excited about playing third base.""
A-Rod smooches Torrie Wilson at basketball game
January 6
New York Post
 
"Yankees star Alex Rodriguez was spotted courtside with new flame and former professional wrestler Torrie Wilson, flirting and sneaking the occasional kiss as they watched the Los Angeles Lakers best the Houston Rockets 108-99. The new couple attended the game on a double date with supermodel Cindy Crawford and husband Rande Gerber on Tuesday night. As the game proceeded, the four talked excitedly and even snapped a few camera-phone photos of the group outing. Rodriguez has been spotted with dimpled blond Wilson all over North America in the past few weeks."
Long: Rodriguez focused, determined
January 3
MLB.com
 
"The healthy confidence Alex Rodriguez carried into Spring Training last year prompted at least one observer to wonder aloud if the Yankees third baseman was heading toward a reprise of his 2007 American League MVP Award campaign. There was a bounce in Rodriguez's step, a viciousness to his swings, and hitting coach Kevin Long didn't think a huge year was out of the question. That obviously didn't work out, but the Yankees expect Rodriguez to come back healthier and on a mission when camp opens next month. "I think the most disappointing thing was, coming into Spring Training, how good he felt and how everything was there," Long said. "Once we got going into the season, it just seemed to"
Alex Rodriguez have six painful years left on big contract as injuries mount
December 29
New York Daily News
 columnist John Harper
"You need a world atlas these days to keep up with Alex Rodriguez's medical team, now that he has added a doctor from Germany to the roster that already stretched from Miami to Toronto to Colorado, in addition to New York. How long before he looks up the guy who performed a miracle on Bartolo Colon's career a year ago? OK, maybe A-Rod isn't quite that desperate just yet, but the news of his visit to Germany is surely another indication that he is fearful of the way his body has been betraying him in recent years, and in need of more than a winter of rest and rehab exercises."
Doctor gives Yankees sworn statement no banned substances used in treatment on A-Rod
December 29
New York Daily News
 
"The procedure that Alex Rodriguez had performed on his ailing right knee and left shoulder in Germany between Dec. 5-9 is called Orthokine therapy, which involves a healing activator used in the popular blood-spinning treatments known as platelet-rich plasma therapy or PRP. But while PRP is approved for use in the U.S., Orthokine therapy is not believed to be approved in either this country or Canada. After A-Rod got a recommendation from Lakers star Kobe Bryant to get the Orthokine therapy, Major League Baseball and the Yankees gave the green light for the $275 million Yankee star to travel to Germany for the treatment, Yankee general manager Brian Cashman said on a conference call"
A-Rod's shoulder had treatment, too
December 29
New York Post
 
"Brian Cashman sees no risk and has zero problem with the Orthokine therapy that Alex Rodriguez underwent on his right knee earlier this month in Germany -- and the Yankees general manager even said Rodriguez had the procedure done on his left shoulder as well. "There appeared to be no downside," Cashman said on a conference call after yesterday's Post report about Rodriguez's procedure surfaced. "Maybe this is an avenue that helps maintain his health. There's clearly a belief system that this type of treatment is beneficial. And if it is, it was time well spent. And if it isn't, nothing ventured, nothing gained.""
Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez reportedly goes to Germany for knee treatment
December 28
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"With the Yankees' consent, and on the advice of Lakers star Kobe Bryant, slugger Alex Rodriguez went to Germany earlier this month to undergo an experimental blood-spinning treatment on his bothersome right knee and left shoulder. Rodriguez underwent "Orthokine," a variant of blood-spinning techniques that have grown increasingly popular with athletes over the last several years. Under these procedures, affected areas are injected with a patient's own blood, after it has been taken through a centrifuge. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman compared the procedure to a "higher level" version of platelet-rich plasma therapy. Rodriguez was in Germany from Dec. 5 to 9, going only after the"
A-Rod undergoes experimental knee treatment
December 28
MLB.com
 
"Alex Rodriguez recently traveled to Germany for an experimental treatment on his troublesome right knee, the New York Post reported on Wednesday. According to the newspaper, citing multiple sources, the Yankees third baseman followed a recommendation from Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant and pursued an innovative procedure called Orthokine. The Yankees approved the treatment, which was performed within the last month, and cleared Rodriguez's procedure with the Commissioner's Office to avoid the appearance that Rodriguez might be receiving impermissible treatment."
A-Rod saw German doctors on advice from Kobe
December 28
New York Post
 
"Kobe Bryant can be credited with an assist to Alex Rodriguez. According to multiple sources, the Yankees third baseman recently followed a recommendation from Bryant, the Los Angeles Lakers star, and traveled to Germany for an experimental therapy called Orthokine on his bothersome right knee. The innovative procedure was performed on Rodriguez — with the Yankees' blessing — within the last month, according to one source. The Yankees first cleared the procedure with the commissioner's office to avoid the appearance that Rodriguez might be receiving impermissible treatment. Rodriguez, the source said, would not have had the procedure without the Yankees' permission. Last season, the team"
Brian Cashman: Maybe Eric Chavez should have started in playoffs over Alex Rodriguez
November 16
New York Daily News
 
"Brian Cashman expects Alex Rodriguez to bounce back with an A-Rod-type season in 2012, but the GM wondered Tuesday whether the Yankees might have been better off in the AL division series with Eric Chavez playing third base. "You could argue he would have had a better division series than A-Rod because A-Rod just never got healthy enough," Cashman said. "Chavy might have been a better option there at the end. But we'll get the real A-Rod back this year because obviously he'll have a full spring training. If he stays healthy, he'll be great.""
Blonde good 'fit' for A-Rod
October 13
New York Post
 
"Washboard abs, an expert on the Brazil Butt Lift and a competitive kickboxer and bodybuilder -- Alex Rodriguez may have met his perfect woman. The super-fit blonde seen leaving the Yankee slugger's Miami pad is Ella Magers, a fitness trainer and nutritionist, Page Six can reveal. And lucky for A-Rod, shouldering much of the blame for the Yankees pitiful postseason, she's also a fully fledged life coach, specializing in counseling. Magers' Web site says she's a longtime fitness pro, has appeared on CBS health reports and in videos for Crunch Boot Camp and, more notably, appeared on the Brazil Butt Lift workout video. Online photos show her looking stunning in a bikini, and one site pictures"
A-Rod now taking swings on golf course
October 13
New York Post
 
"Maybe Alex Rodriguez will have more luck hitting a ball that's not moving so fast! Yankees fans, worried about A-Rod's disappearance this month, need not call cops to file a missing-persons report. Instead, all they need do is visit a Miami golf course to find Rodriguez enjoying the sunshine and his team's early offseason. After batting an anemic .111 during the Yankees' five-game playoff loss to the Detroit Tigers, A-Rod got back to basics -- getting tips from his personal swing coach on how to strike a stationary white ball."
A-Rod strikes out 3 times, makes final out, as Tigers eliminate Yankees from ALDS
October 7
New York Daily News
 
"Number 28 will have to wait. The Yankees' postseason run came to an end in front of a stunned sellout crowd at the Stadium Thursday night with a 3-2 loss to the Detroit Tigers in Game 5 of the ALDS. "None of us were ready to go home," Mark Teixeira said. "I don't think anyone in here thought we were going home today. We all had a lot of confidence we were going to get the job done.""
Alex Rodriguez snaps postseason hitless streak
October 5
New York Post
 
"Finally, Alex Rodriguez has snapped his hitless skid. And based on how he looked at the plate last night, he might be heating up for tomorrow's do-or-die Game 5 at Yankee Stadium. Rodriguez failed to deliver a hit through the first three games against the Tigers in the ALDS, and saw his postseason slump continue in his first two at-bats last night, making him 0-for-12 in the series. It was at that point, in the midst of the Yankees' 10-1 romp last night to even the series 2-2, when Rodriguez finally found his stroke."
Alex Rodriguez really struggling, not helping Bombers' offense in first two games of ALDS
October 4
New York Daily News
 columnist John Harper
"Finished answering all the questions about his silent bat, Alex Rodriguez was making his way through the mob scene near his locker after Sunday's game when he accidentally bumped into a reporter. "Hardest thing I hit all day," he said with a laugh. Yes, A-Rod was doing his best to downplay any notion that suddenly he has stepped back in time, before his 2009 postseason put to rest all the previous October failures and finally stamped him as a made man. And obviously two games is no fair sample by which to judge a hitter. But there is nothing fair about the postseason, and A-Rod is not only 0-for-8 but was booed lustily during Sunday's 5-3 loss to the Tigers as if it were October of 2005,"
Yankees' Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez struggling in ALDS
October 4
New York Daily News
 
"The Yankees haven't gotten much from the fourth and fifth spots in their lineup so far this postseason, but both Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira are clinging to the idea that performing in one crucial moment can wash strikeouts and fruitless at-bats away. "I think we can win no matter what," Rodriguez said when asked about how the heart of the Yankee order has flopped. "You throw statistics out the window in the playoffs. The only one that matters then is winning games. And I think Tex and I are both prepared for big at-bats, a few key moments, and when they come, we'll be ready.""
Alex Rodriguez still hitless in ALDS
October 4
New York Post
 
"Alex Rodriguez's 2011 ALDS against the Tigers is going worse than his atrocious 2006 one. Rodriguez drew two walks in last night's 5-4 ALDS Game 3 loss to the Tigers, impressively doing so off Justin Verlander. And he delivered an RBI groundout as well. But A-Rod also went 0-for-2, remaining hitless in the series at 0-for-10. The slugger has become a major lineup issue for the struggling Yankees, who are on the verge of elimination. Rodriguez, who heard boos during Game 2 in The Bronx on Sunday afternoon, also had a particularly brutal 2006 ALDS against the Tigers. He went 1-for-14 in the four-game series loss and was dumped to eighth in the lineup by Joe Torre in Game 4."
Yankees Alex Rodriguez looking for inner peace while batting .000
October 3
Newark Star-Ledger
 columnist Steve Politi
"Alex Rodriguez is hitless in eight at-bats in this Division Series, a $275 million nonfactor in the middle of a lineup who — surprise, surprise — is making the boobirds sing again at Yankee Stadium. But never fear. He is leaning on his "experiential wisdom in the attainment of enlightenment," according to Wikipedia, in his pursuit of his inner peace. Or something like that. Anyway, this was his direct quote after another goose egg in the Yankees' 5-3 loss to the Detroit Tigers on Sunday: "There's no need to even get emotional," he said. "One pitch at a time. One big hit can change this series around. You've really got to stay in the moment, like Coach Jackson says, a little bit of a Zen"
Schedule change could put A-Rod as Yankees DH
October 2
New York Post
 
"Joe Girardi says the name of the player and the city he plays in has made more of Alex Rodriguez's sore right knee than it would if it involved anybody else in any other city. The Yankees manager said Rodriguez, won't be limited possibly playing four ALDS games in four days and two cities. But he could DH in one of them. "I really think if it wasn't New York and it wasn't Alex this wouldn't have been such a big deal, that a guy was a little cranky [after] he played on turf a couple of days," Girardi said of his third baseman, who was scratched from the final game of the season against the Rays in St. Petersburg, Fla., on Wednesday night due to the surgically repaired knee being sore."
Yankees need Alex Rodriguez to rise to the challenge in October
September 30
Newark Star-Ledger
 columnist Jeff Bradley
"Hard to believe, but it's coming up on four years since Alex Rodriguez opted out of his contract with the Yankees, with word getting out as the Boston Red Sox were finishing off a four-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies in the 2007 World Series. Most figured that was the end of A-Rod in pinstripes. And the reaction from many fans was, "Whatever." A lot has happened in four years. First, of course, was Rodriguez ditching agent Scott Boras and coming to terms with Hank Steinbrenner on a contract worth 10 years and $275 million. Second was A-Rod finally losing the "No Rings" label, when the Yankees won the 2009 World Series."
A-Rod plans on being in Yankees lineup to start ALDS
September 29
New York Daily News
 
"Alex Rodriguez sat out Wednesday night's regular-season finale against the Rays, but make no mistake, the third baseman is intent on being in the lineup Friday night for Game 1 of the ALDS. A-Rod was scratched from Wednesday night's game with a sore right knee - the same one that was operated on in July - roughly a half-hour before first pitch. "I was going to go out and take one or two at-bats, but we felt it was probably smarter to stay off the turf for one night," A-Rod said. "Turf is always an issue when you play multiple days back-to-back. There was just a little soreness, but it's all the turf. Since surgery, I haven't felt any pain or discomfort.""
Yanks needs A-Rod right in hurry
September 28
New York Post
 columnist Kevin Kernan
"In the blink of an eye the Yankees are going to have to be at the top of their game. That means Alex Rodriguez better find his batting eye. Rodriguez looked out of sync at the plate again last night as the Yankees kept the Rays wild-card dreams alive, losing 5-3 at the Trop. The Yankees blew a 3-2 lead in the seventh when the lost reliever, Rafael Soriano, coughed up a three-run home run to Matt Joyce. This also was the night Russell Martin grounded into a 5-4-3 triple play in the top of the sixth, shutting down a Yankees rally. These games don't mean a thing to the Yankees, but the performances do. The Yankees need to be at the top of their game in just a few days and right now Rodriguez"
Yankees' Alex Rodriguez can wash away a forgettable season with a big MLB playoffs
September 25
New York Daily News
 
"Alex Rodriguez has made more headlines this season, at least those not involving more injuries for him, for Cameron Diaz than he has for being the great baseball player he is paid more than anyone in history to be. It is why, out of all the Yankees, October provides him the greatest opportunity to remind people of the way he once carried the team at this time of year, remind people of the player that he used to be, when he was supposed to be on his way to maybe being called the best player to ever play, before he started to look like an old 36 in baseball. A-Rod's season starts right now, just because it really does seem sometimes as if the season the rest of the Yankees have played on"
A-Rod: Girardi Manager of Year
September 22
New York Post
 
"lex Rodriguez said he believes Joe Girardi deserves to take home another Manager of the Year trophy. During the clubhouse celebration of the Yankees' division title late last night, Rodriguez praised Girardi's performance. "For me, he's obviously the manager of the year," Rodriguez said. "We lost our seventh-inning guy, we lost our eighth-inning guy. We lost our third baseman. We lost our shortstop. We lost Phil Hughes. And overall he's been the one constant that floated over the water. He's just been terrific. "He does a fantastic job with our veteran players, communicating with us," he added. "A lot of his great leadership things you guys will never know about. That's what makes him so"
Alex Rodriguez's value to Yankees is more complicated than ever
September 16
Newark Star-Ledger
 columnist Jeff Bradley
"You can sum up almost everything about Alex Rodriguez with the two-word expression that has become a part of American culture thanks to Facebook. It's complicated. And so we begin the not-so-simple task of explaining why the greatest thing Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has done this season has been to put together a team that's so good the highest-paid player in baseball is, basically, a surplus player. "Oh, I don't think that's the case at all," said Cashman, when told this was what we were thinking just a few days before Rodriguez's planned re-entry tonight in Toronto."
A-Rod focused on getting healthy for Yankees playoff run
September 16
New York Daily News
 
"October. That's all Alex Rodriguez is thinking about these days. It's hard to blame A-Rod for wanting to put the regular season in the rear-view mirror after enduring an injury-riddled second half that has seen him play only 10 games. "There's no question that we're in a franchise that, the most important month is October," Rodriguez said. "Obviously with a good performance and the team attaining its goal, I think everyone would agree that everything would be forgotten." A-Rod wasn't having a monster first half by his lofty standards, but his .295 average, 13 home runs and 52 RBI were good enough to earn him a spot on his 14th American League All-Star team. But instead of playing in"
Alex Rodriguez set to return to Yankees' lineup
September 15
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"Yankees manager Joe Girardi intends to pencil third baseman Alex Rodriguez into the starting lineup Friday against the Toronto Blue Jays. But whether Rodriguez actually plays will depend on what he shows during pregame batting practice, where he will take his first swings in a week. "We figured just give it two more days," said Girardi, who elected to wait until the Toronto series to give Rodriguez extra time. Rodriguez, who hasn't played since last Friday because of his lingering sprained left thumb, has not picked up a bat since. He originally suffered the injury on Aug. 21, his first day back from a six-week absence following knee surgery, and has already take a cortisone shot to play"
A-Rod eyeing Friday return
September 14
New York Post
 
"While Joe Girardi said Alex Rodriguez's return to the lineup could be Friday night in Toronto, the cleanup hitter would likely have to test his sprained left thumb swinging a bat today to prove to himself he can face major league pitching without worry. "We talked about that," the Yankees manager said of Rodriguez doing some type of swinging before tonight's game against the Mariners at Safeco Field. The Yankees are off tomorrow. Asked earlier about Rodriguez returning, Girardi said, "I think Friday is reasonable for Alex." Rodriguez hasn't played since Friday in Anaheim. Since injuring the thumb diving for a ball in Minnesota Aug. 21, Rodriguez has played in nine games and is hitting .258"
Alex Rodriguez still nagged by sprained thumb, but good news for Nick Swisher's elbow
September 13
New York Daily News
 
"Nick Swisher received some good news on his injured left elbow Saturday, but the other Yankee injury news was far from good concerning Alex Rodriguez. Rodriguez missed Saturday night's game and will miss the series finale Sunday as well as the first game or two in Seattle as his sprained left thumb continues to give him problems. An MRI taken on Swisher's elbow Friday night revealed no structural damage, though the right fielder remained out of action last night with inflammation in the joint. "Anytime you go for an MRI, you don't know; I've never really had pains in my elbow," Swisher said. "It's a bummer, because right now, you want to be in there every day. Everyone is tired, everyone"
A-Rod's sprained left thumb may keep Yankees third baseman out until series in Toronto
September 13
New York Daily News
 
"Every time he steps to the plate, Alex Rodriguez evokes quite a response from Mariners fans, still bitter over A-Rod's departure from Seattle more than a decade ago. Those fans are unlikely to get their opportunity to boo the Yankees' third baseman this week, as Joe Girardi said Rodriguez's sprained left thumb might keep him out of action until the Yankees open a series Friday in Toronto. A-Rod missed the final two games in Anaheim after his thumb began bothering him again, prompting Girardi to say he would rest him for three or four days. That meant a potential return Wednesday against the Mariners, though that now appears unlikely. "I'd like to get him this series, but I can't tell you"
Yankees' Alex Rodriguez still nagged by sprained thumb, but good news for Nick Swisher's elbow
September 11
New York Daily News
 
"Nick Swisher received some good news on his injured left elbow Saturday, but the other Yankee injury news was far from good concerning Alex Rodriguez. Rodriguez missed Saturday night's game and will miss the series finale Sunday as well as the first game or two in Seattle as his sprained left thumb continues to give him problems. An MRI taken on Swisher's elbow Friday night revealed no structural damage, though the right fielder remained out of action last night with inflammation in the joint. "Anytime you go for an MRI, you don't know; I've never really had pains in my elbow," Swisher said. "It's a bummer, because right now, you want to be in there every day. Everyone is tired, everyone"
Jeter, Sabathia, A-Rod help Yankees sweep Blue Jays
September 5
New York Post
 
"Yankees haters love games like yesterday's, in which the club's biggest stars lit up a muggy Bronx afternoon. CC Sabathia, Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez each played huge roles in a 9-3 victory that completed a sweep of the Blue Jays in front of 47,464 at Yankee Stadium. Immediately, you could hear the howling cut through the thick air. The detractors don't need the Yankees to lose. They simply point to the money the Yankees are paying their stars and insist they should win. And when the trio performs like they did, it's almost impossible for the Yankees to lose. Jeter slugged a three-run homer in the third inning and added a two-run single in the eighth to tie a career-high with five"
A-Rod return makes for true Yankees
September 5
New York Post
 columnist Larry Brooks
"The Yankees have hardly been whole all season and yet it has been hard to identify holes in the order given a lineup that has produced the most runs in the majors. But then comes a day like yesterday, on which Alex Rodriguez, playing in only his sixth game since July 7, serves up a reminder of what the Yankees look like with him swinging out of the cleanup spot, a reminder of what the Yankees will have to be in order to successfully navigate through October. "Guys have stepped up for us all year, but when you put Alex in the middle of the lineup, it's a whole different story," CC Sabathia told The Post after putting away the Blue Jays 9-3 in The Bronx. "You're talking about one of the best"
A-Rod knocks off rust with sixth-inning homer for Yankees
September 5
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"Alex Rodriguez dropped his head, convinced he had flied out in the sixth inning. Only moments later did he realize that he had just homered for the first time since returning to the lineup after spraining his thumb. "It was a fly ball to right," he said. "I got very lucky that ball sailed over the fence. I couldn't believe it." The sprained thumb cost him six straight games before returning Saturday. He is also fresh from a two-month stint on the disabled list. The time off has led to some rust. Yet Rodriguez believes he has enough time to regain his rhythm at the plate before the postseason. "I'm right where I need to be and we have plenty of time," Rodriguez said after helping the"
With Yankees star Alex Rodriguez silent, YES voices cover for slugger over poker allegations
September 4
New York Daily News
 
"By his normal standards this has been a relatively quiet season for Alex Rodriguez, unless injuries and the poker flap amount to any noise. That didn't stop the Yankees Entertainment & Sports Network from throwing Rodriguez a Pity Party after he met with MLB officials on Aug. 26. He stopped to chat with the suits about his alleged involvement in high-stakes poker games, specifically a July report in Star Magazine placing him at a Beverly Hills card soiree where a fight broke out and there was alleged cocaine use. On the air that Friday evening Kimberly Jones contended ("I've learned") the poker game took place Nov. 2, 2009 when A-Rod was playing in Game 5 of the World Series. Previous"
Yankees' Alex Rodriguez says he could return Saturday
September 3
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"If the Yankees were in the midst of a playoff push or in the postseason, third baseman Alex Rodriguez said he would have been in the lineup tonight. Erring on the side of extreme caution, Rodriguez sat out for a sixth consecutive game, missing the opener of a three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium with a sprained left thumb. He took a full batting practice and fielded ground balls today, intensifying his workload from the previous day, and expects to return to the lineup Saturday afternoon. "This is probably the most conservative approach we've taken," Rodriguez said before the game. "I think we realize that the next two months are the most important ones. Once"
Yankees' Alex Rodriguez says he could return Saturday
September 2
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez, nursing a sprained left thumb, took a full batting practice and took grounders today and said he expects to be in the lineup Saturday. Rodriguez hasn't played since the first game of Sunday's double header in Baltimore. "It feels pretty good," he said before tonight's game. "We had a good day today. We pretty much did everything. We hit live for the first time. I met with the training staff. We're going to take at least one more day." Rodriquez, who hit in the cage on Thursday, said if the Yankees were in a playoff push and this was the playoffs, he could play. He said the team is erring on the side of extreme caution before they don't want the injury"
A-Rod could be out past Friday
September 1
New York Post
 
"Alex Rodriguez fielded ground balls during batting practice prior to Tuesday night's Yankees-Red Sox game at Fenway Park but will not swing a bat until Thursday. "It's just a matter of it healing.'' said Rodriguez, who suffered the injury fielding a grounder on Aug. 21. He said the taped thumb didn't bother him during yesterday's exercise. Rodriguez received a cortisone shot Monday in New York where he underwent an MRI exam that didn't unearth structural damage. Coming out of Baltimore, where he reinjured the thumb in the first game of Sunday's doubleheader, it was believed Rodriguez would miss the three games against the Red Sox and return Friday night against the Blue Jays at Yankee"
A-Rod likely out for full Yankees-Red Sox series after receiving cortisone shot in injured thumb
August 31
New York Daily News
 
"Alex Rodriguez's next at-bat at Fenway Park might not come until 2012. After receiving a cortisone shot in his injured left thumb on Monday, the third baseman is likely out for the entire three-game series against the Red Sox. Unless the Yankees and Sox square off in the ALCS come October, the two teams won't meet in Boston again this season, leaving A-Rod as little more than a $32 million cheerleader. "They told me basically to stay off it, to pretty much do all lower-body stuff, to stay away from a bat for a day or two," Rodriguez said. "The one thing is, it's so frustrating to come here. It's the last time we come here for the regular season. I mean, it hurts like hell just to sit on"
Still time for A-Rod to make big impact
August 31
New York Post
 columnist Joel Sherman
"In 2009, with his hip and reputation damaged, Alex Rodriguez nevertheless delivered a few clarion calls that he was up to something special. He homered on the very first pitch he saw after coming back from hip surgery in early May and -- needing two homers and seven RBIs on the final day of the regular season to again reach 30 homers and 100 RBIs -- Rodriguez jammed all of that into the sixth inning against the Rays; a three-run homer and a grand slam. It spoke to a certain soundness not just of body, but mind that Rodriguez carried into that October; lifted him to the postseason of his life and pretty much the best of anyone's life -- ever. There was a calm around A-Rod, a grace under"
Docs tell A-Rod to put swing on hold
August 31
New York Post
 
"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"
Yankees vs. Orioles: Yankees win, 3-2, as A-Rod's availability remains in question
August 30
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"Nick Swisher mentioned a newspaper headline. It was over a story about how the Yankees had recently been shut out. It read "Power outage." He paused for effect. "I thought that was kind of funny," Swisher said tonight, after hitting the two-run homer that lifted the Yankees past the Baltimore Orioles, 3-2. The humor stems from the fact that Swisher is on a binge. The homer was his sixth in his last seven games, and his third in a four-game set against the Orioles. His outburst comes at a perfect time now that the Yankees are looking for heroes. Derek Jeter could be on the shelf for Tuesday's series opener against the rival Boston Red Sox with a bruised knee, even though he has a better"
A-Rod's status for Boston series in doubt, Garcia and Yankees top Orioles, 3-2
August 30
New York Daily News
 
"Who needs Alex Rodriguez when you have Freddy Garcia? Garcia made a triumphant return from the disabled list Monday night, leading the Yankees to a 3-2 win over the Orioles that earned them a split of the four-game series at Camden Yards. Pitching for the first time in 22 days, Garcia tossed six innings of one-run ball, picking up his 11th win of the season. "That's as good as it gets," Joe Girardi said. "He gave us six great innings." The win moved the Yankees within 1-1/2 games of the Red Sox in the American League East. The two teams will meet for three games at Fenway Park beginning Tuesday night. Rodriguez is unlikely to be in the lineup, as the third baseman was in New York Monday"
A-Rod has MRI; "really questionable" for Boston
August 30
New York Daily News
 
"Alex Rodriguez was not with the Yankees on Monday night at Camden Yards, having gone to New York to visit a hand specialist as he continues to nurse a left thumb injury. A-Rod was examined by Dr. Melvin Rosenwasser and underwent an MRI exam, the results of which revealed no damage. He is expected to join the Yankees in Boston on Tuesday, though his availability for the huge three-game series against the Red Sox remains in doubt. "I think it's really questionable, but let's just see," Joe Girardi said. "It just depends how that thumb responds to the treatment. He came back and irritated it a little bit more, so we're just going to have to be smart about it." Rodriguez suffered a"
Thumb injury could keep A-Rod out at Fenway
August 30
New York Post
 
"Alex Rodriguez might be a no-go for one of the Yankees' biggest series of the season. Rodriguez is still suffering from his sprained left thumb, an injury that forced him out of his second straight game last night against the Orioles, had him getting an MRI in New York yesterday and has him as an unknown for the three-game showdown against the Red Sox that begins tonight at Fenway Park. "I don't know if he'll play [tonight]. We have to let it heal. I can't tell you exactly when he will come back," manager Joe Girardi said before the Yankees' 3-2 victory. "He's really questionable, but we will see." Rodriguez's health has now emerged as the Yankees' biggest issue for the Red Sox series,"
Bruised Jeter, A-Rod both day-to-day
August 29
New York Post
 
"The Yankees were without Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez due to injury last night, and not only are both doubtful to play tonight but Jeter required a golf cart for the ride to the team bus after last night's game because of a sore right knee. Jeter, suffered a contusion to his knee in the first game of yesterday's doubleheader against the Orioles -- the same game in which he became the Yankees' all-time leader in games played. Rodriguez sat out the nightcap because of a sprained left thumb -- which forced him to miss two games last week. Manager Joe Girardi does not expect either superstar to play in tonight's series finale. "It is somewhat of a concern," Girardi said. The injuries are not"
After MLB meeting, A-Rod doesn't expect poker punishment
August 27
New York Post
 
"After meeting with Major League Baseball investigators for almost two hours Friday, Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez hinted he did not expect to be disciplined for his poker playing. "Nothing about that,'' Rodriguez said at Camden Yards before a game against the Orioles. Asked if he was told to change his off-field behavior, Rodriguez said, "Nothing like that was discussed.'' Rodriguez was accompanied by his lawyer, Jay Reisinger, and David Prouty, chief labor counsel for the Players' Association. "I can't get into anymore. In fairness to them I answered all their questions until I got tired. I will let them come back to you," Rodriguez said. "Whatever I said, I said in there, and I am"
Alex feeling thumb-thing good after home run
August 27
New York Post
 
"His meeting with major league officials behind him, Alex Rodriguez was encouraged with the condition of his left thumb -- and it showed last night, as he hit a home run for the first time since June 11 in the Yankees' 12-5 loss to the Orioles. "The swelling has gone down," Rodriguez said before playing third base, hitting cleanup and going 1-for-4. Rodriguez returned from the disabled list and knee surgery Sunday in Minneapolis. During the late innings of that game, he bruised his thumb trying to snag a Joe Mauer grounder. By Tuesday night, the thumb was too swollen for Rodriguez to play and he missed Tuesday and Wednesday. Rodriguez had not hit a home run in 94 at-bats. According to Elias"
A-Rod's thumb is no problem
August 26
New York Post
 
"After missing the first two games of the Oakland series with a sprained thumb, Alex Rodriguez was back in the Yankees lineup yesterday. And even if his return was overshadowed by the record-breaking grand-slam barrage, his multi-hit game was an auspicious return in what became a 22-9 laugher. Rodriguez went 2-for-4 with two walks and three runs scored in a game that saw Robinson Cano, Russell Martin and Curtis Granderson hit grand slams. "The first day or two, it was all about overcoming the fear, 'Is something going to break? Is something going to hurt?' " Rodriguez said. "After my first at-bat I felt pretty good. I've never been involved in such a game, three grand slams, three different"