Like it or not, the Yankees need Alex Rodriguez – and it appears he might be back sooner rather than later, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.
Those in the organization who have seen A-Rod down in Tampa are saying he is making “fantastic progress” in his rehab. After he was given the go-ahead to face live pitching this week, one source close with the team said Rodriguez put on a power display.
The source also said the all-star third baseman might “beat everyone back” to the team – everyone meaning those who are currently injured. GM Brian Cashman said that Alex is physically ahead of Derek Jeter right now because he is able to do everything baseball related close to full-bore. “Alex is clearly able to do everything functionally. It’s just wrapping it all up and putting it into games,” Cashman said.
The Yankees need some length in their lineup, and believe it or not, Rodriguez’s name alone is still a threat. New York’s lineup is so weak against left-handed pitchers, they need a righty bat to balance things out. Couple that with the fact that the team’s third basemen have been sub-par, and the situation screams for A-Rod. The three guys who have seen the most action at third this year – David Adams, Jayson Nix and the now injured Kevin Youkilis – have combined to go 90-for-384 (.234) with 5 homers and 34 RBI. When healthy, even though he’s not the player he once was, A-Rod can put up better numbers than that.
Although A-Rod has of course found himself in the middle of controversy and his future is murky, he appears to be almost ready to ramp up his workouts to 100 percent. It’s only a matter of time before we see him in the Bronx, trying to get the Yankees to October.
