The New York Yankees will take to the road to face the Chicago White Sox in what will be the debut game for third basemen Alex Rodriguez on Monday night at 8:10 pm ET.
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Via ESPN:
With the Biogenesis scandal still hanging over his head, Rodriguez could be in the lineup for the series opener against a White Sox team trying to avoid its worst skid in 57 years.
Rodriguez hasn't played this season due to offseason hip surgery and a quadriceps injury that followed, but the three-time AL MVP appears ready to go after completing a rehabilitation assignment at Double-A Trenton.
Rodriguez's injury situation, though, is the least of his concerns, as reports have indicated that he will be suspended by Major League Baseball on Monday for his links to a clinic accused of distributing banned performance-enhancing drugs. He will reportedly be able to play if he decides to appeal the decision, which could call for him to miss the rest of this season and all of 2014.
"I don't suspect it'll be awkward (if Rodriguez is back). Most of these guys know him as a teammate and have laughed a lot with Alex and been around Alex a lot," said Girardi, whose team is 57-53 and a season-worst 9 1/2 games out of first place in the AL East following Sunday's 6-3 loss at San Diego. "I think it'll be business as usual. I'm sure there will be more media there, obviously ... but I think that's probably more for Alex to deal with than the rest of the guys. I don't think it'll be a big deal."
While Rodriguez could be manning third base for the first time this season, the left side of the Yankees' infield will be missing Derek Jeter -- again. The team captain, who has sat out the last two games, has a mild strain in his right calf that could have happened while making a play in Friday's 7-2 loss.
Jeter, who was activated from the disabled list last Sunday (strained right quadriceps), has played in five games this season after making his debut July 11 following offseason surgery on a broken left ankle suffered in the 2012 AL championship series.
"It's frustrating," Jeter said Sunday. "It's terrible. The whole season has been a nightmare."
