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A-Rod 'Miserable' On Bench For Yankees-Red Sox; Sprained Thumb Still An Issue

BOSTON (WFAN/AP) -- Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez is expected to sit out this week's entire series against the Red Sox at Fenway Park because of his sprained left thumb.

And he's not happy about it.

"It's miserable," A-Rod said Tuesday night before the Yankees' testy 5-2 win. "This is one of my favorite places to play."

Rodriguez says he received a cortisone shot on Monday, but it's still too painful to swing a bat.

"It's the last time we come here in the regular season. It hurts like hell just to sit on the sideline watching," he said. "I don't want to rule out this series, but probably being a little more realistic Friday."

A-Rod took ground balls with his thumb wrapped and taped before Tuesday's game, but did not take batting practice.

"The doctor assured me the thumb is going to heal," he said. "Hopefully on Thursday or Friday be ready to roll."

New York is now just half a game behind Boston in the AL East, with a 3-10 record against the Red Sox this season. Manager Joe Girardi said he would consider using Rodriguez in the series as a pinch-runner or defensive replacement.

"It's day-to-day, and basically it's when he tells us he's good to go," Girardi said. "I don't think he'll really know until he takes a swing."

Will A-Rod be healthy enough to be effective in the stretch run? Be heard in the comments below...

(TM and Copyright 2011 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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.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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