Scott Audette/Reuters
Alex Rodriguez hopes to rejoin the Yankees on Monday, but a suspension from Major League Baseball could come before that.
Alex Rodriguez's effort to return to the Yankees' lineup before Major League Baseball issues its expected suspension of him is moving into a decisive phase, with the possibility that the games he is set to play in minor league settings over the next few days could be his last ones for a long time.
Rodriguez, the 38-year-old third baseman now in baseball's cross hairs, will play in a simulated game Thursday at the Yankees' complex in Tampa, Fla., followed by a minor league game Friday at an undisclosed location, perhaps Class AA Trenton.
All that, however, could change abruptly if he comes to an agreement to accept a substantial suspension. That possibility grew on Wednesday with the disclosure that baseball and Rodriguez's representatives, through the players union, were engaged in a dialogue about his situation.
In the meantime, a tentative plan calls for Rodriguez to meet his Yankees teammates Monday in Chicago, where the team will begin a series against the White Sox. But that may be too late for Rodriguez, who at this point is hardly the master of his own fate.
For the second time in two days, baseball officials met with their union counterparts Wednesday to inform them of the suspensions the league is about to hand down in connection with its investigation of a South Florida clinic suspected of dispensing performance-enhancing drugs.
Major League Baseball is preparing to suspend Rodriguez and other players, perhaps by Friday. Rodriguez is expected to incur the heaviest penalty by far, with the commissioner's office signaling it might give him a lifetime ban or even seek to punish him under provisions of the collective bargaining agreement that would not allow him to immediately appeal his punishment.
But that tough posture by baseball may be modified as a result of the current dialogue, which was cited by a person with knowledge of the matter. It was unclear whether the discussions would lead to Rodriguez's accepting a suspension that would prevent him from putting on a major league uniform for the rest of this season and much or all of 2014.
Meanwhile, Rodriguez continues to move closer to being able to play in major league games for the first time since he had hip surgery in January. The whole situation — a looming suspension, the possibility of a deal, Rodriguez's desire to play now — essentially puts the Yankees in uncharted waters, but General Manager Brian Cashman tried to deal with it during a conference call with reporters.
Cashman did not rule out Rodriguez's playing in more minor league rehabilitation games over the weekend. The Yankees have a three-game series against the Padres in San Diego this weekend, and Rodriguez, under any almost scenario, is unlikely to join them for that.
After that comes the three-game series against the White Sox. Rodriguez could take part in those games, although by then he might be appealing a hefty suspension, or already beginning an agreed-on exile from the sport.
Rodriguez and the other players expected to be suspended have been linked to the activities of a now-defunct anti-aging clinic that operated under the name Biogenesis. But Rodriguez stands out from the others because baseball officials believe he tried to obstruct the league's investigation of the clinic. For that reason, he is facing a penalty that could put the rest of his career in jeopardy.
But there have been indications that Rodriguez might be open to accepting a deal that would be less harsh than a lifetime ban. And it is quite possible that the players union is counseling him to take that approach. Michael Weiner, the head of the union, has said that in instances in which there is overwhelming evidence against a player in the Biogenesis investigation, the union would want that player to make a deal with baseball rather than fight a suspension.
If Rodriguez did agree to a deal, he would be following the example of another star player, Milwaukee's Ryan Braun, who was likewise ensnared in the Biogenesis case and 10 days ago agreed to a suspension that immediately barred him from playing.
In Braun's case, the suspension is for 65 games, through the end of the 2013 season. In Rodriguez's case, the suspension would presumably be for much longer, perhaps lasting through the 2014 season. And in that case, Rodriguez would not be rejoining his teammates at any point this season.
In the conference call, Cashman said he had no information about baseball's investigation and its expected suspensions and was proceeding as if Rodriguez would play for him again this season. Cashman said that Rodriguez was due to get on a plane and rejoin the team soon.
"That is correct, absolutely," he said. "We have a plan in place with a schedule that Alex; my trainer, Tim Lentych; and myself all worked through the other day."
Rodriguez turned 38 on Saturday. If he ultimately accepted a deal that would leave him unable to play until 2015, he would be 39 by the time he got back on the field. Coming back at that age after missing two full seasons in the major leagues would be a steep challenge, and maybe an impossible one.
For now, Rodriguez continues to work out as if his return were within days. But with a suspension looming, and baseball hoping to pressure Rodriguez's side into a deal, it is unclear when, or if, that return may take place.
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