Sports

Flu does what MLB can’t: forces A-Rod out

The first sign that something wasn’t right with Alex Rodriguez was the fact he was walking around the clubhouse yesterday wearing a sweatshirt with the hood up.

The second came when he was scratched shortly before the game with flu-like symptoms and replaced at third base by Mark Reynolds.

“He wanted to play and he was really sick [Friday] night and he played,” manager Joe Girardi said after the Yankees beat the Orioles, 2-0. “We texted this morning and he said he wanted to try. He did some work in the cage and he just didn’t look good. He was pale.”

Girardi has been suffering from a similar illness and said he turned the corner after a day or two. He was optimistic Rodriguez will be better today.

Meanwhile, the preliminary phase of Rodriguez’s appeal of his 211-game MLB suspension will begin this week with a procedural meeting at which the actual hearing date will be set, according to Newsday. MLB had no comment last night and Rodriguez’s camp did not respond to a request for comment.

* Lyle Overbay was inserted at first base against the right-hander Scott Feldman and snapped out of his mini-slump with a pair of singles. He had been hitless in his previous 15 at-bats.

* Derek Jeter had a difficult day at the plate, going 0-for-4 and hitting into two rally-killing double plays.

He was able to start a double play in the field on Wilson Betemit’s hard grounder in the eighth following J.J. Hardy’s leadoff walk.

When asked how he felt defensively, Jeter said: “Just good enough to make that play.”

Overall, though, he’s pleased with where he is.

“The more you play, the better you feel,” Jeter said. “We’re in a long stretch here now, so hopefully that helps. I can’t change anything that’s happened to this point. All I care about now is helping us win the rest of the way. … This is the important part of the year. What happens now is what matters.”

Eduardo Nunez, who has been dealing with a sore right knee, didn’t play, but Girardi said he believes Nunez is healthy enough to fill in, if needed.

* Hiroki Kuroda didn’t throw his usual bullpen session yesterday, but Girardi said nothing was physically wrong with the right-hander, who has struggled recently.

* Teams can expand their rosters today and Girardi expects the Yankees to make some call-ups.

Among the possible candidates are catcher J.R. Murphy and infielder David Adams, as well as bullpen help from right-handers Dellin Betances and Brett Marshall and lefty Cesar Cabral.

The most important addition may not come until tomorrow, when Preston Claiborne is eligible to be recalled. He was optioned to Class-A Tampa last week and can’t return until after Tampa’s season ends today.

* Jayson Nix (fractured left hand) believes there’s a chance he could return before the end of the season, but said he knows the odds are against him.