NEW YORK — Alex Rodriguez
has returned to the Yankees' starting lineup for their AL championship
series opener against Detroit on Saturday night but has been dropped to
sixth in the batting order.
According to STATS LLC, the
37-year-old third baseman has not hit that low in the order since Joe
Torre batted him eighth in the fourth and final game of the 2006 AL
division series against the Tigers. He went 0 for 3.
A-Rod last hit sixth in Game 2 that year against Detroit, and he was 0 for 4 with three strikeouts.
He was 2 for 16 with no RBIs in
the division series against Baltimore, going hitless in 12 at-bats
against right-handed pitchers with nine strikeouts. Rodriguez is 10 for
66 (.152) with no homers and six RBIs in postseason play over the last
three years. He hasn't homered in 84 at-bats since Sept. 14.