TAMPA – When Alex Rodriguez is interviewed by MLB investigators over his admitted use of performance enhancers – likely today – it’s doubtful his answers will result in punishment.
Even after A-Rod foolishly allowed cousin Yuri Sucart to pick him up Wednesday inside the gates of Dunedin Field, where Sucart was spotted by The Post, MLB doesn’t have enough to suspend Rodriguez, because the drug test he failed was part of the survey testing program introduced in 2003.
Sucart, at the center of “Cousin Gate,” is the unnamed relative Rodriguez outed as the drug mule who transported steroids from the Dominican Republic to America and injected the juice into Rodriguez.
Rodriguez has admitted using steroids from 2001 to 2003 with the Rangers.
The meeting, in which Rodriguez will be represented by a personal lawyer and a member of the Players Association, will be an information-gathering project, and Rodriguez won’t be penalized for questions his lawyers don’t allow him to answer.
Rodriguez said he hadn’t heard from MLB about the meeting, and offered a no comment on the subject.
Dan Mullin and Nelson Tejada from MLB’s department of investigations were in the Yankees’ clubhouse yesterday morning talking to staff members.
They were in equipment manager Rob Cucuzza’s office for about 25 minutes, but Rodriguez wasn’t part of the meeting.
MLB is interested in knowing how much contact Sucart and Dominican strength coach Angel Persinal have had with the Yankees.
Sucart has been a regular travel companion of Rodriguez, and Persinal, who was banned from certain areas of MLB parks in 2001, was spotted around the Yankees sparingly in 2007.
As for Sucart, Rodriguez was told by the Yankees to keep him away.
And, according to a source, Rodriguez admitted to the club he made a mistake by allowing Sucart to pick up him and Nick Swisher after Wednesday’s game.
“It was addressed and no further comment,” Rodriguez said.
GM Brian Cashman said, “It’s been handled.”
Said manager Joe Girardi: “That situation has been addressed, and I will leave it at that.”
Yesterday, playing at George M. Steinbrenner Field against the defending AL champion Rays with The Boss on hand, Rodriguez heard a mixture of boos and cheers in his first at-bat, in the second inning, when he fanned.
In the fourth inning, when he banged into a double play, it was mostly applause.
However, a heckler behind the plate shouted, “You forgot your vitamins.”
“I thought it was fine,” Rodriguez said of the crowd.
“I am happy I am playing. It feels good between the lines.”
Rodriguez will be outside the lines today. While the Yankees travel to Fort Myers to play the Twins, he will remain at Steinbrenner Field and work out.
“I didn’t notice a huge difference,” Girardi said of the greetings Rodriguez received. “Maybe because there are a lot of Tampa Bay fans here. I think I noticed more boos the first time.”