The Major League Baseball Players Association has formally issued an appeal for Alex Rodriguez's 211-game suspension Wednesday, sending the case to an independent arbitrator.

Union spokesman Greg Bouris confirmed the appeal and said the players' association had not further comment.

Rodriguez was suspended through the 2014 season on Monday when the league penalized 13 players following an investigation into Biogenesis of America, a shuttled Florida anti-aging clinic accused of distributing banned performance-enhancing drugs.

Sources said the MLB was also given evidence supporting accusations that Rodriguez attempted to coerce at least one witness in MLB's investigation.

Rodriguez's punishment was scheduled to begin Thursday, but he is allowed to keep playing until the grievance is heard by arbitrator Fredric Horowitz. Horowitz isn't expected to rule until November or December at the earliest.

Rodriguez has been booed since his return, except for when he was hit by a pitch in the third inning of the Yankees' 3-2 loss Tuesday night, but Yankees manager Joe Girardi is curious to see the reaction of the crowd when Rodriguez returns to New York on Friday in a home matchup against the Detroit Tigers.

"I am curious what it's going to be like Friday," Girardi said. "I'm not sure. And I don't really know what the appropriate response is. I don't think it's my right to tell people how to respond certain situations."

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