MLB

Yankees’ A-Rod near rehab games

Alex Rodriguez has stayed away from Yankee Stadium as he rehabs from offseason surgery, but he is closing in on a return.

The injured third baseman has picked up the pace of his recovery from hip surgery and could begin playing in rehab games in fewer than 10 days, according to a source close to Rodriguez.

General manager Brian Cashman “couldn’t say” when Rodriguez’s tour through the minor leagues would begin, but it would start in Tampa, where the Yankees’ High-A affiliate is located and where Rodriguez has done nearly all of his rehab at the team’s facility.

“I don’t know an exact date, but I do know that every day he progresses,” Cashman said.

The Yankees expect Rodriguez back after the All-Star break, but he will have to begin playing games soon if he is going to be able to play before the end of July.

The slugger’s return would increase the spotlight on MLB’s investigation into players’ alleged involvement with Biogenesis and performance-enhancing drugs.

“It’s out of my hands,” Cashman said. “They’re going to investigate and I hope they get whoever cheated, and whoever didn’t, I hope gets exonerated.”