LISTEN: Was A-Rod Sent On Rehab Assignment To Give Beltran More Time As Designated Hitter?
NEW YORK (WFAN) -- Yankees conspiracy theorists might believe Alex Rodriguez's unexpected rehab assignment in Trenton was a move made to keep a red-hot Carlos Beltran in the DH spot a bit longer.
WFAN's Mike Francesa asked Yankees beat reporter Sweeny Murti about that possibility Tuesday.
"I could see them (the Yankees) thinking that was a part of the equation, but I'm not going to tell you that they had that conspiracy and said, 'We need to keep him off of the team,'" Murti said.
"I think initially they were against a rehab assignment because they thought Rodriguez was going to be back on Thursday (of last week), a straight 15 days," Murti added. "The longer it went, now you're talking about an extra five days after that. I think that's what made them lean toward getting him to face more live pitching (before returning)."
A-Rod has not played since straining his hamstring against the Baltimore Orioles on May 3. On Tuesday, the Yankees announced he would be sent to Double-A Trenton for a rehab assignment.
The plan is for Rodriguez to spend two days with the Thunder, Murti said.
During the Yankees' current five-game winning streak, Beltran is batting .455 with a home run and eight RBIs. He has largely served as the designated hitter in A-Rod's absence.
To listen to the full segment with Murti, click on the audio player above.