A-Rod Gets 2 Hits For Double-A Trenton In Start Of Rehab Assignment
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) — Rather than activate Alex Rodriguez from the disabled list, the Yankees sent him to Double-A Trenton to start an injury rehabilitation assignment.
Sidelined since straining his right hamstring on May 3, Rodriguez was 2 for 4 for the Thunder in a 3-2, 11-inning win over New Hampshire on Tuesday night. The 40-year-old designated hitter popped out, hit an RBI single to center, grounded into a forceout and singled to left.
New York is leaning toward activating him for a trip that starts Friday at Tampa Bay but could shorten Rodriguez's time in the minors if he feels good.
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The Yankees haven't missed Rodriguez, winning 13 of 18, including six in a row, in his absence. New York (22-22) got back to .500 for the first time since being 4-4 start the season with Tuesday night's 6-0 win over the Blue Jays. A-Rod was first expected to rejoin the Bombers last week in Oakland, and then for the opener against Toronto.
"We were thinking a couple of days and see where he's at," manager Joe Girardi said of the decision to send Rodriguez to Trenton. "It's more for knocking off the rust. I think we feel pretty good about his hamstring, but in saying that, it will give us a good idea of where it's really at because it's hard to simulate game activities."
Right-hander Luis Severino, on the disabled list since leaving a May 13 start with a strained right triceps, is set to pitch a rehab game Sunday for Class A Tampa at Brevard County.
Also Tuesday, the Yankees claimed right-hander Layne Somsen off waivers from Cincinnati and optioned him to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The 26-year-old, a 22nd-round pick in the 2013 amateur draft, made his big league debut on May 14 with a scoreless inning at Philadelphia, then allowed five earned runs two days later at Cleveland.
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