Even from Tampa, Alex Rodriguez has figured out a way to anger the Yankees.
While the Yankees have repeatedly said the third baseman has not been cleared to begin a rehab assignment, Rodriguez said he was set to start playing games in Tampa this Monday.
On Tuesday, Rodriguez went to Twitter to say that the surgeon who performed his offseason hip surgery, Dr. Bryan Kelly, gave him “the green light to play in games again!”
Visit from Dr. Kelly over the weekend, who gave me the best news – the green light to play games again! http://t.co/RuzfXOJjHI
— Alex Rodriguez (@AROD) June 25, 2013
That was too much for GM Brian Cashman to take.
“You know what, when the Yankees want to announce something, [we will],” Cashman told ESPN New York. “Alex should just shut the f— up. That’s it. I’m going to call Alex now.”
Cashman has been consistent in saying no date had been set for Rodriguez, who has been taking batting practice at the team’s minor league complex.
Team officials has grown increasingly irritated with Rodriguez, who followed up a miserable postseason by having a second hip surgery and then found himself in the crosshairs of an MLB investigation into performance-enhancing drugs.
Rodriguez denied any involvement in the Biogenesis scandal after records surfaced allegedly linking him to the now-defunct anti-aging clinic in Miami.
He still has four years remaining on his contract. Team president Randy Levine was careful in talking about Rodriguez during a press conference yesterday, some of his statements could apply to Rodriguez.
After saying the league’s investigation into Biogenesis “doesn’t weigh on our mind,” Levine admitted, “It’s a factor.”
Like the rest of the front office throughout this process, Levine was careful not to indict Rodriguez.
“It may have an effect on certain players, it may not,” Levine said of the investigation. “It’s a factor. Nobody is assuming anybody is getting suspended. We are in America, and last I looked, everybody is innocent until evidence is presented against them.”
Having Rodriguez under contract for another four years won’t help the Yankees get to the $189 million payroll goal next season.
“We’ve got a lot of free agents on this team,” Levine said of preparing for 2014. “There are a lot of other events that are going on and then hopefully we can accomplish both at the same time.”
Chances are, the Yankees won’t be able to rid themselves of Rodriguez anytime soon.
Before the game, manager Joe Girardi talked about where Rodriguez was in his rehab.
“He is in [simulated at-bats] until they decide he is ready to go,”
the manager said. “As soon as he is, we will let you know. He is not ready to do that but he is making progress.”