MLB

Yankees’ A-Rod relishes silencing doubters

CHARLESTON, S.C. — Alex Rodriguez: The $28 million underdog.

The Yankees third baseman was the toast of the town during his brief stay with the Single-A RiverDogs, drawing huge crowds and winning over friendly fans by signing hundreds of autographs, but the reception might not be quite as warm as he works his way up the baseball food chain.

Rodriguez said he won’t know what to expect until he gets back to the majors.

“I hope it’s positive,” Rodriguez said after working out at Joseph P. Riley Park yesterday before flying to Tampa. “I’m optimistic about it. I continue to get great support. I’ve never played the underdog for a long time, but I feel the way people are cheering me on and supporting me, it feels pretty good.”

When pressed on whether he truly felt like an “underdog” as one of the game’s highest-paid players, Rodriguez stood by his statement.

“I think so,” said Rodriguez, in the third day of what figures to be a 20-day rehab assignment. “I think after two hip surgeries, there are a lot of naysayers and science may … bet against me, but I’m excited for the challenge and we’ll see what happens.”

Still, he understood why the doubters exist.

“Sure,” said Rodriguez, whose comeback could be affected by Major League Baseball’s investigation into the Biogenesis scandal. “Everyone has their views, but that’s a different role — and a fun role — to play.”

Yesterday, he took batting practice and did infield drills for nearly an hour and a half under the watchful eye of Yankees director of player development, Pat Roessler, who has been with Rodriguez throughout his rehab, but declined to comment on his progress.

Rodriguez, though, was encouraged by how he felt after playing consecutive games, even if they were only three innings each. After a batting practice session in which he hit a few line drives, but no homers, Rodriguez fielded grounders, turned double plays and caught pop-ups before running the arc around the bases.

The 37-year-old is scheduled to play a third rehab game today for Single-A Tampa in Lakeland, Fla. — perhaps for five innings — then suit up again tomorrow before taking Sunday off. He stressed again, however, that is subject to change because of the unpredictable weather.

Although Rodriguez isn’t taking much out of going hitless in four plate appearances with Charleston, he admitted there are things he needs to do before he is convinced he is back.

One of those is running full speed on the field.

“I definitely need to do that,” Rodriguez said of bursting down the line. “I haven’t really done that. [In simulated games] I hit a couple of doubles to the wall where I thought I accelerated pretty good. But I definitely want to see more of that after I get about half a dozen games where I want to see things happen.”

He has a few more games to get to that point and didn’t want to look too far ahead.

“I’m just excited about the challenge ahead of me right now that’s a heck of a challenge,” Rodriguez said. “I’m looking forward to attacking it with everything I have.”

Whatever that turns out to be.