Yankees GM Says A-Rod Has Earned 'Full-Time DH Consideration'
TAMPA, Fla. (CBSNewYork/AP) — New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman says Alex Rodriguez is making a case to be the team's full-time designated hitter.
A-Rod, who turns 40 in July, is returning from a one-year drug suspension. He's hitting .290 (9 for 31) with two homers.
"We'll talk about all these things, but the way he's looked so far, I'd definitely say he's pushed himself into full-time DH consideration," Cashman said before Wednesday's game against the New York Mets.
Following the re-signing of third baseman Chase Headley, Rodriguez is competing for at-bats at DH with left-handed-hitting Garrett Jones. He might get limited playing time at third and first base.
"He's done well," Cashman said. "He's got a lot of life in his body. If he continues to show athleticism, that means he's going to impact the baseball. That will be good for us."
Rodriguez ranks fifth on the career home run list with 654. He has not played a full season since 2007 because the suspension, operations on both hips and other injuries.
"I didn't know what to expect," Cashman said. "As I said before camp even started, I had no idea what we were going to get. You prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Hopefully, he can stay healthy and be really productive for us in that lineup."
A-Rod went 1 for 3 with a strikeout in Wednesday's loss to the Mets. He was happy to hear Cashman's comments but cautioned that the regular season is still more than a week away.
"We still have 10 days to go," Rodriguez said. "Obviously, that feels good. But I still have a lot of work to do. I'm kind of working on some things. It's still a process, looking forward for the next 10 days."
Meanwhile, Adam Warren has taken a big lead to become the fifth starter while competing with a group that includes Esmil Rogers.
"There's a Secretariat right now in this race that's a number of lengths ahead of the field," Cashman said. "Right now if we had to make a decision, we all know what that decision would be. Warren certainly has a big lead in this, but we don't have to make that decision today."
Warren made 69 appearances out of the bullpen last season, going 3-6 with 2.97 ERA.
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