Alex Rodriguez (Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post)
HE’S STILL HERE: Alex Rodriguez, answering questions from reporters before Opening Day yesterday (above), watched the Yankees’ loss to the Red Sox from the dugout (inset). (N.Y. Post: Charles Wenzelberg (2))
Alex Rodriguez had his long-awaited reunion with the Yankees yesterday, still surrounded by questions about his future.
He said he’s not worried about a potential suspension regarding his alleged ties to performance-enhancing drugs and still intends to play for the Yankees this season.
“No, I’m not,” Rodriguez said when asked if he was concerned about being targeted by MLB or a possible suspension. “But I’m not gonna further discuss this. At some point, I feel that everything will be good.”
That point has not arrived, something made clear by the fact he wasn’t introduced during the pregame ceremony.
“I don’t need to be introduced to feel like a part of this team,” Rodriguez said before the Yankees’ 8-2 loss to the Red Sox. “When I get introduced, I want to be on the field and not look back.”
The third baseman did get introduced later Monday night at the Yankees’ Welcome Dinner in midtown. He was “well-received” by the crowd, according to someone who in attendance, but it will be a while before he faces the glare of fans in The Bronx.
Rodriguez acknowledged meeting with the players’ association about the investigation into Biogenesis, the anti-aging clinic tied to PEDs whose records contained Rodriguez’s name. He declined to go into details, though.
“I’m not gonna comment on that,” said Rodriguez, who hired a PR firm to deny the allegations. “We put out a statement and we’ll definitely stand by that.”
The third baseman said his rehab from offseason left hip surgery is going well, but refused to comment on the chances the Yankees could try to void the remaining five years of his contract — worth $114 million — and declined to put a timetable on his return.
“It’s too early to determine that right now,” said Rodriguez, who is out until July at the earliest. When asked if he intended to play again this season, Rodriguez responded: “That’s the plan, absolutely.”
Rodriguez is confident he can return to his old form.
“I think once it’s mended, there’s no reason why I can’t be at a very high level,” he said.
Rodriguez also defended the decision to not be with the team in Tampa for spring training.
“I missed spring training in ’09, too,” Rodriguez said of his previous hip surgery to the right side, which was performed by Dr. Marc Phillipon. “People forget that. Like Philippon, Dr. [Bryan] Kelly wanted me to be close to him and see him every seven, eight days or so. We actually mixed in a couple of good workouts here in New York, so we thought it was important to stay in New York.”
While he repeatedly insisted he was getting better, he still has a long way to go.
“We’re at the very beginning of Stage 1 of this recovery,” Rodriguez said.
It remains to be seen how the Yankees survive without the third baseman, although Rodriguez was defiant about the dire predictions surrounding the team.
“I think this year we have a very special opportunity because for the first time, we’ve been predicted to finish in last place, which I think is pretty crazy,” Rodriguez said. “That’s exciting. It’s a year of opportunity. It’s a year of opportunity for our team. It’s a year of opportunity for me and I love when all these people say, ‘You can’t do this, you can’t do that, you’re done, you’re old.’
“I find it’s a great challenge to prove all you guys wrong and everyone wrong.”