Most New York Yankees fans (and fantasy players) were not surprised to see DH Alex Rodriguez name out of the lineup on Saturday. Manager Joe Girardi has given his veteran slugger regular rest and with a first pitch at noon, it seemed like a good spot. Danny Knobler of MLB.com reports "the rest of the story." Girardi told reporters that Rodriguez had "leg tightness" that may be attributable to a triple on Friday night.
"His legs were a little heavy, I guess guys who are almost 40 shouldn't hit triples," said Girardi. "So I said, 'You know what, we're going to give it a day. He was still a little tight, and I just said, 'I'm not taking a chance right now.'"
Alex Rodriguez has 7 HR so far (good for 5th in the AL), including career #661 passing Willie Mays for fourth all-time. His offense has been a major reason that the Yankees are in first place after the first five weeks of the season.
While simple soreness sounds routine, there are major concerns by fans and media about Rodriguez being able to get 140 games or 500 at bats this season. Coming off a season in which he was suspended for the entire year, combined with his age (he will turn 40 in June), detractors were expecting he might not make 100 games. The fact is, Rodriguez has not exceeded 500 AB since 2010, and has not played in 140 games since 2007.
Is this soreness just a normal thing for a man of Rodriguez age or a warning sign that we might be seeing less of the slugger after his hot start? Stay tuned. The American League East race may hang in the balance.