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A-Rod Ready For Monday? Yankees GM: 'Let's Get Through The Weekend'

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Alex Rodriguez plans on taking the field for the New York Yankees on Monday.

General manager Brian Cashman, who famously F-bombed A-Rod's last announcement, didn't throw cold water on anything this time. But he didn't exactly confirm the third baseman's schedule, either.

"We started the 20-day rehab and we felt he could complete the 20 days and be available to us in Texas," Cashman told ESPN.com. "So let's get through the weekend and see where he is at and see if he is major league able."

On Wednesday, A-Rod told WFAN's Mike Francesa that if all goes well he'll come off the disabled list for the start of a four-game set against the Rangers in Arlington, Tx.

Alex Rodriguez

MORE: FULL TRANSCRIPT OF A-ROD INTERVIEW

"I will be back on Monday and I'm very excited," Rodriguez said.

The 37-year-old will start for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Thursday in the final leg of his rehab assignment. Cashman wouldn't say whether A-Rod would play for the RailRiders on Sunday if he's ready for the big show Monday.

"I don't know, I can't say," Cashman said, according to the Post.

Meanwhile, A-Rod was asked about the ongoing speculation that he'd never play again.

"For one, it fuels me," he said on WFAN radio. "There's always going to be that, but my goal has never changed. My goal is the same it was 20 years, as it was 10 years ago, five years ago as it is today: to get back on the field and give it my best. And that's what I plan on doing."

Rodriguez also told Francesa that his camp hasn't made a plea deal with MLB regarding a possible suspension stemming from the league's investigation into Biogenesis, the closed anti-aging clinic accused of distributing PEDs to athletes.

"No, that's not true," A-Rod said about the plea deal reports.

He added: "At this moment, that's all we can really discuss on the matter."

Rodriguez admitted in 2009 to using PEDs during his 2001-03 stint with the Rangers. He has denied any involvement with Biogenesis.

"There's no deal that I've instructed anyone to do at this point," he said.

A-Rod insisted his relationship with the team was on the right track.

"I think over the last several weeks we've had good communication," he said. "We've had productive conversations. I think we all have the same goal to get back on the field, help the team win, and make a run out of this thing."

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