ARod's a late scratch with fatigue

Yanks slugger to rest two games before returning Sunday

By Anthony DiComo / MLB.com

MIAMI -- Forced to estimate, Alex Rodriguez said he was going to leave about 100 tickets to the Yankees' game against the Marlins on Friday night at Land Shark Stadium for friends and family scattered throughout the Miami area. Rodriguez's mother, daughters and his high school coach were among those planning on seeing him play.

They will have to make other plans.

Rodriguez, who walked into Joe Girardi's office Thursday night and told the Yankees manager that he needed a blow, was a late scratch from Friday's lineup with a case of general fatigue. The plan is for Rodriguez to rest Friday and Saturday before returning to the starting lineup on Sunday.

"That's a great disappointment," Rodriguez said. "It's the first time in my career that I get to play here in the regular season. Miami, I love this place. I was really looking forward to it."

But after Rodriguez marched into Girardi's office, plans changed. Forced to work out longer and harder following right hip surgery this spring, Rodriguez has taken little time off since returning to the Yankees in early May. And though he insists the hip is fine, overall, Rodriguez is not.

"Listen, I was on crutches two months ago," Rodriguez said. "You have to keep that in perspective. There's no panic, but it's just a matter of getting rest."

Girardi originally planned on giving Rodriguez a day off Saturday. But after talking it over with general manager Brian Cashman, the skipper decided that two days would better allow Rodriguez to heal. Though Angel Berroa replaced him at third base in the starting lineup, Rodriguez was available to pinch-hit if needed.

But at Girardi's request, the slugger will avoid the weight room, the infield and the batting cage.

"I know you're used to being a greyhound and working and working and working," Girardi told Rodriguez earlier Friday. "But you need to relax a little bit. Take it easy today."

The Yankees insist that Rodriguez's .212 average in 38 games has nothing to do with the decision to rest -- though his current 0-for-15 funk did factor in. Dating back to June 5, hitting coach Kevin Long estimated that Rodriguez has "reached" on 75-80 percent of his swings -- that is, he has been extending his arms away from his body rather than swinging from a compact position.

Rodriguez said he was shocked when Long revealed that data to him, but that it was certainly telling.

"The main thing is he's reaching for the baseball," Long said. "We've got to get it compact, we've got to get it tight, we've got to get it explosive. We want damage."

Rodriguez has hit nine home runs on the season, but only two over the past 3 1/2 weeks.

"We just felt that he needs a couple days physically," Girardi said. "Is he sore? No, he's not sore. But we think he's a little bit run down and he could recharge his batteries. He's played hard for us. He's played in a lot of games. We're in a tough part of our schedule, and it's hard not to put the best player out there. But we feel that he could use a couple of days, and we think it will really rejuvenate him and get him going."

Though the surgery that Rodriguez underwent to repair a torn labrum in his hip was successful in March -- allowing him to return to action much earlier than he otherwise would have -- it also came with inherent risks. The Yankees had no idea if Rodriguez would return to them in MVP form, or if he would struggle.

At first, the slugger thrived, easing minds around the Bronx. But the rigors of extra work and extra pressure have caught up to Rodriguez, who has already missed more time than he has in a decade.

"It affects everything," Rodriguez said of the fatigue. "But that's not an excuse for any poor play. Let's just make that very clear. If I play poorly, it's on me."

"I guess I don't ever expect Alex to be human, to take a step backward," Long said. "I commend him and everybody else that came up with this game plan, to see if it could kind of rejuvenate his body and get it going a little bit."