New York Yankees’ designated hitter, Alex Rodriguez has set a timetable for his return and it appears to be a promising one.
By Christian Kouroupakis
On May 5, the New York Yankees lost one of their biggest threats in the lineup when Alex Rodriguez strained his hamstring in a 4-1 loss to the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards.
A-Rod is eligible for a return to the lineup next Thursday when the Yankees travel to the West coast to visit the Oakland Athletics at the colosseum.
Rodriguez has said discomfort in the hamstring has not been felt since he hurt it in the fifth inning last week. His efforts to make his way back from the injury includes pool rehab and cardio on the treadmill. He also did some light running yesterday prior to the series finale against the Kansas City Royals.
According to the New York Daily News, he has initiated tee-and-toss drills in the batting cages and plans to begin workouts on the field as early as Monday.
According to the slugger,the key to if he will be available in Oakland or not will be his sprinting abilities.
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“I would probably say any type of slowing down, then speeding up,” he told the NY Daily News. “That’s probably the most challenging part.”
The DH was batting .194 on the season but in the seven games prior to the injury, he owned a .304/.333/.826 slash line with three home runs and seven RBI.
He also has a total of five home runs A-Rod has five home runs on the year and is 22 home runs away from tying Babe Ruth’s total of 714, which is the third-most all-time.
Since he’s been gone, Carlos Beltran, Brian McCann and even catching prospect Gary Sanchez have gotten reps as the designated hitter. Interestingly enough, New York has an average of 3.9 runs scored per game when A-Rod is in the lineup (20 games) but has averaged five runs per game since his hamstring injury.
Not saying the team is better with A-Rod on the shelf, but the productivity by the entirety of the lineup has been undeniable.
It could also be a result of his statement about how five runs should be the norm for the team, but nevertheless, the slugger should be on track to return to action during the Yankees’ trip to the West Coast.
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