MLB PLAYER NEWS

Rodriguez tests hamstring before Yankees game

The Sports Xchange

May 12, 2016 at 11:26 pm.

NEW YORK — Alex Rodriguez is eligible to return from the disabled list next week.

Whether he actually returns from the strained right hamstring on time is based on the events of the next few days.

The first step in Rodriguez’s progression from the injury he sustained running down the first base line May 3 in Baltimore took place in an empty stadium about three and a half hours before New York’s 7-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals.

Rodriguez wasn’t taking early batting practice and launching home runs into the seats.

Instead he was doing some light jogging in the outfield. He started behind the first base bag in short right field and ran twice to halfway around the diamond to behind second base.

Rodriguez did this while manager Joe Girardi watched.

“From where he’s at and when we’re hoping to get him back, I think he’s in a pretty good spot,” Girardi said.

Until Thursday, the only activity Rodriguez had done was in the pool, on the restricted treadmill and some tee and toss in the batting cage.

Rodriguez has not felt anything in his hamstring since the initial injury and the next step is to see how he reacts running out of the box.

“I’ll have a much better answer over the next 48 hours to see how I recover from these two days, but so far, so good,” Rodriguez said. “I’m sure (trainer Steve Donahue) and the staff are going to get me on the field the next two days, probably.

In the meantime, the Yankees will keep with a rotating cast at designated hitter. It has been Carlos Beltran some nights and Thursday it was Brian McCann as the Yankees scored more than five runs for the fourth time in the last week.

“It’s tough to be out,” Rodriguez said. “It’s good to see the guys swing the bat well.”

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