Alex Rodriguez was scheduled to play third base for the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders tonight in another rehab appearance for the Yankees third baseman. Right before the game, it was announced that A-Rod would no longer be playing third base, and would be in the game as the designated hitter instead. If you've been paying attention at all to the 2013 Yankees injury situation, that struck fear in your heart. Turns out that fear was at least a little justified.
According to Yankees, A-Rod moved to DH from third tonight because of left quad tightness
— Erik Boland (@eboland11) July 20, 2013
The plan has been for A-Rod to rejoin the Yankees on Monday when he 20-day rehab stint is over. If he is unable to play after that time, the team would have to wait five days before sending him on another 20-day assignment. Brian Cashman said that the final decision can be flexible and will depend on how Rodriguez is feeling. Quad tightness may be a bad sign for that, as it is the same feeling that forced Derek Jeter from his first big league game of the season before an MRI revealed a strain and sent him to the disabled list.
If A-Rod makes it through the game tonight without any complications, it will be a good sign for his scheduled return. If he is unable to complete the game or play in the RailRiders' game tomorrow, the return of another hitter that the Yankees lineup desperately needs could be put on hold for longer still.
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