Report: Yankees Told A-Rod Will Be Suspended Monday, Selig Won't Use CBA Powers
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) - A day before the public will learn of Alex Rodriguez' fate, the New York Yankees have been told by MLB that A-Rod will be suspended on Monday.
The Yankees were not told the exact length of the suspension, but were left under the impression it will be through the 2014 season, a person familiar with deliberations tells The Associated Press.
Rodriguez could get a shorter penalty for violating baseball's drug agreement if he gives up the right to file a grievance and force the case before an arbitrator, the person added.
MLB commissioner Bud Selig will not use his CBA powers under the "best interest" clause to keep him from playing, according to CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman.
So as long as Rodriguez appeals his suspension he will continue to be eligible to play for the Yankees.
As CBS 2's Steve Overmyer reported, the official announcement on the suspension will come Monday morning.
The subsequent appeals process could take months and if the suspension is upheld, A-Rod could miss games into the 2015 season.
On Sunday, Rodriguez had his final rehab workout in Trenton, then jumped on a plane headed for Chicago, where he fully intended to join the Yankees in taking on the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field.
"I'm still flying to Chicago" regardless of what happens, he said before leaving.
Rodriguez expressed a sense of optimism and fraternity as he spoke before leaving.
"I can't wait to see my teammates," he said. "I feel I can help us win, help us be a better team. And I haven't seen a lot of my brothers in a long time."
Prior to Sunday's game against the San Diego Padres, Yankees manager Joe Girardi said, if A-Rod is activated he will be in the lineup against the White Sox.
Girardi said, "I'm not going to bring him up and sit him, in my mind, I have him penciled in tomorrow."
Ultimately, Rodriguez may have gotten the last word – at least for now, Overmyer reported. What was once expected to be a lifetime ban looks like a 214-game suspension that is supposed to bench him through next season -- although it could end later depending on the appeal.
"I will have an opportunity to tell it all at some point. I'll have that platform," Rodriguez said. "When the time is right, I'll tell my full story."
The official Monday MLB ruling is not the final decision on Rodriguez's future. An arbitrator will decide if the penalty MLB suggests is appropriate, or might even be reduced.
(TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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