Yankees' Girardi Expects To See A-Rod On Opening Day
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The Yankees open their season at home in 10 days, and manager Joe Girardi says Alex Rodriguez should be there.
A-Rod has been rehabbing from offseason hip surgery in New York while his teammates prepare for 2013 at the club's spring training facility in Tampa, Fla.
"I expect to see him," Girardi said Thursday. "I'd like to see him."
Girardi, who has been in contact with A-Rod via text messaging, said the embattled slugger "feels pretty good" and has been "doing more and more every week I talk to him."
Rodriguez will head to Tampa once he's ready for on-field activities, according to Yankees general manager Brian Cashman.
He'll continue his program in New York until then, which means the 37-year-old should be in town for the April 1 opener against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium.
"Once he does baseball activity, we'll get him obviously down here," Cashman said. "But right now, he's just in a physical therapy program."
Rodriguez was among the many players listed in the reported records of Biogenesis, an alleged PED-peddling clinic in Florida. A-Rod has denied the allegations. The Yankees have declined to comment pending MLB's investigation.
Rodriguez is expected to miss at least the first half of the season -- if not more -- as he rehabs from surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left hip.
"It's kind of like when Jorge (Posada) retired, not having him," said Girardi. "Even though Alex is still a player, we haven't had him all spring, so it is kind of strange."
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