The Yankees will open a three-game series against the Chicago White Sox on Monday, and as far as manager Joe Girardi is concerned, Alex Rodriguez will be in the lineup.
With suspensions likely to be announced Monday, Girardi said Sunday morning that if Rodriguez makes it to Chicago and is activated, he will be playing that night, according to CBSSports.com.
“Yeah,” Girardi said. “I’m not going to bring him up and sit him.”
The Yankees third baseman rubbed Major League Baseball the wrong way with his postgame comments Friday night after his rehab game, and MLB has since announced it would no longer negotiate a settlement with Rodriguez. With Rodriguez facing a reported 214-game ban, Girardi and the rest of the Yankees are anxious to see how the saga plays out.
“I think all of us are curious as to what’s going to happen,” Girardi said. “Is Alex going to be a player for us tomorrow, what’s going to happen with the other guys.”
If Rodriguez is available to play, Girardi said he doesn’t envision any problems within the clubhouse, with the exception of increased attention on the 38-year-old.
“I suspect it will be business as usual,” he said. “There will be more media, but that’s for Alex, not for the rest of the team.”
