MLB

Yankees’ Rodriguez expected to talk to MLB

Alex Rodriguez, no stranger to trouble, has cooperated previously when summoned to Major League Baseball’s headquarters, and he’s expected to do so again regarding his latest imbroglio, an industry source said.

MLB’s Department of Investigation can ask players to come in for an interview without meeting any burden of proof, though the tradeoff is that players are not required to attend such a get-together. Players usually acquiesce, however, because it’s in their best interests to just go with it.

Rodriguez previously met with baseball’s top cops in 2010, when reports emerged of his involvement with Canadian doctor Anthony Galea, and then again in 2011 regarding his playing in underground poker games. He never has been disciplined by baseball for off-the-field activities, although he confessed to using illegal performance-enhancing drugs from 2001 through 2003 (when baseball didn’t penalize for such an offense).

Baseball isn’t yet ready to summon Rodriguez, Texas’ Nelson Cruz or Washington’s Gio Gonzalez — other players identified in the Miami New Times story — because it has not yet obtained the evidence

presented in the Miami New Times. In working in conjunction with law-enforcement officials, baseball has to wait its turn. Since the investigators can interview the players just once, they want to make sure they have as much information compiled as possible before calling in those accused.

Melky Cabrera, Bartolo Colon and Yasmani Grandal, all of whom were suspended by baseball for failed drug tests in 2012, are not expected to be targets of MLB — unless new evidence emerges that they purchased illegal PEDs following their suspensions.