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New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez will rejoin the team Friday in Baltimore, manager Joe Girardi said Thursday.
Rodriguez has been out of action since March 9, when he had surgery on his right hip.
A little before 5 p.m. ET, Girardi emerged from his office and announced to a group of reporters that Rodriguez would be back. Girardi, who had met with the media an hour earlier, had just gotten off the phone with Rodriguez.
"He feels he's ready and we think it's great," he said. "It's great to have your No. 4 hitter come back. In a sense it's like we made a huge trade. We didn't have him the first five weeks so we're all very excited."
Girardi said that after the conversation, he knew Rodriguez was ready to be back at the big league level.
"He's excited and I made it very clear that we miss [him]," Girardi said. "But as I told him all along, I wouldn't pressure [him] into coming back before [he was] ready. There was a buzz in his voice."
Girardi said that Rodriguez can play on back-to-back days, but that the team also doesn't want him to push it and force another trip to the disabled list.
"We'll try to be smart about it and see how he's doing every day," Girardi said.
Earlier Thursday, Rodriguez played turned out to be his final rehab game Thursday, going 0-for-2 with two walks and putting in three innings of defense.
Rodriguez spent much of the rehab assignment facing questions about a recently released biography that suggests more extensive use of performance-enhancing *****. But that will probably be overshadowed as he returns to the majors with the suspension of Manny Ramirez on Thursday for a **** violation.
Rodriguez credited Dr. Marc Philippon, who operated on the hip, and Dr. Mark Lindsay, a soft-tissue expert who has worked with him daily in Florida, for the success of his rehab program.
"They have worked [hard] with me," Rodriguez said. "Philippon did a good job with the surgery. I feel blessed."
Rodriguez has been out of action since March 9, when he had surgery on his right hip.
A little before 5 p.m. ET, Girardi emerged from his office and announced to a group of reporters that Rodriguez would be back. Girardi, who had met with the media an hour earlier, had just gotten off the phone with Rodriguez.
"He feels he's ready and we think it's great," he said. "It's great to have your No. 4 hitter come back. In a sense it's like we made a huge trade. We didn't have him the first five weeks so we're all very excited."
Girardi said that after the conversation, he knew Rodriguez was ready to be back at the big league level.
"He's excited and I made it very clear that we miss [him]," Girardi said. "But as I told him all along, I wouldn't pressure [him] into coming back before [he was] ready. There was a buzz in his voice."
Girardi said that Rodriguez can play on back-to-back days, but that the team also doesn't want him to push it and force another trip to the disabled list.
"We'll try to be smart about it and see how he's doing every day," Girardi said.
Earlier Thursday, Rodriguez played turned out to be his final rehab game Thursday, going 0-for-2 with two walks and putting in three innings of defense.
Rodriguez spent much of the rehab assignment facing questions about a recently released biography that suggests more extensive use of performance-enhancing *****. But that will probably be overshadowed as he returns to the majors with the suspension of Manny Ramirez on Thursday for a **** violation.
Rodriguez credited Dr. Marc Philippon, who operated on the hip, and Dr. Mark Lindsay, a soft-tissue expert who has worked with him daily in Florida, for the success of his rehab program.
"They have worked [hard] with me," Rodriguez said. "Philippon did a good job with the surgery. I feel blessed."
