Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees bats against the Baltimore Orioles during Game Three of the American League Division Series at Yankee Stadium. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
NEW YORK (AP) — 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.
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