A-Rod shooting for Monday return to Yankees, claims he made no deal with MLB

Alex Rodriguez's long road back to the majors seems to be coming to a conclusion and, if you believe him, A-Rod will be back in pinstripes by Monday.

The maligned third baseman begins his final push to rejoin the Yankees on Thursday night when he starts at third base for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre as it hosts Louisville. The slugger, out all season after a second hip surgery in January, will round out his 20-day minor league rehab assignment by playing four straight days with the RailRiders.

He said Wednesday he is optimistic that after that he can return to the big league club next week in Texas.

"I am within striking distance of Monday now," A-Rod told Mike Francesa on WFAN radio. "That makes me excited ... like a ten-year-old boy."

After playing two games here for Double-A Trenton, A-Rod's move to Scranton puts him right on target to join a Yankees lineup that needs a lift. GM Brian Cashman has indicated that he would like to improve the club's offense if possible before the trading deadline.

"It's the plan that we talked about in Charleston (where the assignment began July 2 and 3) and we haven't deviated, not even one step with the exception of a little rain here and there," Rodriguez said after batting practice, infield, weightlifting and sprints at FirstEnegry Stadium. "So we're on schedule."

He told Francesa: "Feels pretty good ... going to play four (games) in Scranton and then hopefully strap it up."

There is no guarantee that he'll be with the Yankees for long with the Biogenesis scandal hanging over his head.

Asked about the rumor if he made a deal with Major League Baseball about the length of a possible suspension, A-Rod claimed that's just what it is — a rumor.

"That's not true," he said. "No deal that I have instructed anyone to do at this point. That's all we can really discuss on the matter."

Rodriguez has played 10 games thus far and is 5-for-28 with a home run and six RBI. Asked about how he is looking to perform in this next stretch, he answered "I have no idea. I feel good though."

He did not play in the Thunder's game on Wednesday but felt it a good sign that he felt well enough that he could have after playing four games in the previous four days, the first time he's done that.

"I'm encouraged that I feel like I can play and play well today," A-Rod said. "So after playing four straight games, seven- or eight-plus innings (in each), and being able to play today if I had to, that's a great sign."

During at least one of the next four games, Rodriguez said he will be the RailRiders' designated hitter.

Desperate A-Rod summoned Anthony Bosch while Yankees played Tigers in 2012 ALCS: Report

Alex Rodriguez was so desperate to break out of a batting slump during last year's ALCS that he reportedly turned to the one person he thought could help him — Biogenesis founder and accused PED peddler Anthony Bosch, reports The New York Daily News.

According to an article Tuesday in The Miami New Times — the newspaper which first published documents from Bosch's anti-aging clinic, which linked dozens of pro athletes to performance-enhancing drug use — a former business associate of Bosch claims Rodriguez was mired in a major slump which caused him to lose his starting job in the series against the Detroit Tigers. In desperation,  A-Rod summoned Bosch to Detroit to help him.

The Miami New Times reported that Porter Fischer said he confronted Bosch about the money owed to him when Bosch returned from Detroit after the Yankees were swept by the Tigers, a series in which A-Rod went 1-for-9.

A baseball source said the Yankees had no knowledge of Bosch traveling to Detroit during the 2012 ALCS.

A clipping from the Daily News article said:

In addition to the A-Rod claim, Porter told the weekly paper that MLB investigators offered to pay him for information about Biogenesis and Bosch, the self-styled “biochemist” who allegedly supplied PEDs to Rodriguez, Milwaukee Brewers star Ryan Braun and other players.

MLB spokesman Patrick Courtney, however, disputed the allegations. Courtney said Fischer approached MLB officials about selling Bosch’s records to them. “He sought to be compensated for his information and documents,” Courtney said. “We were unable to reach an agreement. Since we became aware of the Biogenesis allegations, we have pursued every legal avenue to enforce our drug program.”

Fischer, a Biogenesis investor who did marketing for the shuttered Coral Gables clinic, told the weekly newspaper that MLB paid him $5,000 for documents from the clinic. Fischer also claims in the report that he stole Biogenesis documents and later supplied them to the Miami New Times in January. Fischer told the paper that he turned over the documents to spite Bosch, because he says Bosch refused to pay money owed to him.

Fischer also details in the New Times report how a friend provided notebooks — recalling interactions with Biogenesis clients — to representatives of Rodriguez. A spokesman for Rodriguez declined comment.

Bosch and his representatives have met in Miami with MLB officials this month, after he agreed to provide them with information that can be used to discipline (or bury) Rodriguez. A source told the Daily News that Bosch and his representatives provided “reams of materials” about A-Rod, Braun and other players’ links to Biogenesis.

A third baseball source told The Daily News Rodriguez doesn’t think Bosch “has anything” on him, and that baseball is “not going to be able to get what they want” to punish the slugger, who is currently rehabbing from January hip surgery. The third source added that Rodriguez is “very confident” he will play for the Yankees this season. A-Rod isn’t expected back until after the All-Star break.

MLB officials have agreed to drop Bosch from their lawsuit, pay his legal expenses and indemnify him from future litigation if he provides them with credible information.

Biogenesis — the anti-aging clinic that must make A-Rod feel like he's 100-years old.

Biogenesis clinic records available for the right price: Report

If collecting ordinary baseball cards has become passe and begging for autographs feels like a thing of the past, collectors might be in the market for souvenirs with a little more clout — let's say the Biogenesis records linking major league players to Anthony Bosch's scrutinized clinic.

A lot of interested parties are looking for the scandal-ridden documents reportedly involving Major League Baseball's biggest names. Documents that could possibly keep a player like Alex Rodriguez or Ryan Braun out of the Hall of Fame.

According to a report in The New York Daily News, the Bosch clinic's records have become available to the highest bidders in sort of a black market baseball trade show — and people aren't collecting them to be framed and hung — so to speak.

The seedy world of baseball memorabilia has officially collided with the seedy world of Anthony Bosch.

The detailed documents linking dozens of Major League Baseball players to Bosch and performance-enhancing drugs that are floating around the back alleys of South Florida have landed in the hands of at least one consigner looking to peddle what he described as “the kind of stuff that keeps someone out of the Hall of Fame.”

The consigner recently contacted a prominent memorabilia dealer with an offer to sell what he said were “original documents” from Bosch’s clinic for which he said he had already rejected a $50,000 offer from a different bidder.

He added that he had already sold “copies of them to a fool.”

The documents offered for sale include detailed information about the purchases of performance-enhancing drugs — and possibly player signatures.

The memorabilia dealer, who requested anonymity because of the controversial nature of the documents and the evidence they might contain, declined the offer. The seller, who did not identify himself, asked the dealer to pass along the information to any clients who might be interested.

An interested party then contacted the seller, who told the person the documents from Bosch’s now-defunct Biogenesis anti-aging clinic are “black and white. It’s all there.

You’ve read about it, the list of names. It’s serious stuff. Kick it around, kick it around. You might have a direct line to some of these guys, I don’t know.” 

Under-fire A-Rod visits teammates in Yankee Stadium dugout

Alex Rodriguez made a rare appearance at Yankee Stadium on Saturday — one day after the controversial third baseman was linked to a Major League Baseball investigation that he allegedly purchased documents that link him to the Biogenesis clinic that was a source of banned drugs.

It was also less than twenty-four hours after the rehabbing, $114 million Yankee player was photographed sunning himself at a Miami pool with his girlfriend Torrie Wilson.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi didn't expect to see the embattled A-Rod in the dugout — wearing pinstripes to boot.

"I was not aware he was coming," Girardi said after Rodriguez sat next to his teammates in the dugout during the Yankees 5-3 loss to the Orioles. "I hadn’t seen him since the last homestand. He’s doing more and more each day."

A-Rod has reportedly been working hard to get back to the Bronx.

"Although it was slow, he actually got on a treadmill the other day," Girardi said. "He was pretty fired up about that."

Robinson Cano said it was good to see Rodriguez, despite the cloud of controversy he’s surrounded by.

"It was good to see the way he was walking," Cano said. "He’s a guy, every time he walks in here, he always walks in happy, which is good. He brings energy to the team."

Before the game, Girardi didn’t have much to say about Rodriguez’s alleged attempt to have someone purchase records from Biogenesis, in order to have them destroyed — something that was denied by Rodriguez’s public relations team.

"It’s an MLB issue," Girardi said of the investigation into Biogenesis and Rodriguez’s alleged involvement. "That’s my reaction."

MLB bought documents from the clinic when it learned a player already had done so for the purpose of destroying them.

Girardi said he doesn’t get receive any updates from the organization when new potential developments emerge.

"Do I get a memo on my desk [when a report comes out]?" the manager said. "No, I don’t get a memo on my desk. I think probably everyone hears about it if they choose to watch 'SportsCenter.'"

As for Rodriguez’s mindset, Girardi said it was positive.

"He’s anxious to get back"” Girardi said. "I think he wants to get on the field. That’s the area that I think he knows the best. ... We just want him to do his rehab and get him back on the field as soon as we can."

Rodriguez might want to hang around so no one forgets his face.

A-Rod's replacement, Kevin Youkilis, has already made Yankee fans lose sight of his Red Sox bloodlines and is batting a robust .368 with a .632 slugging percentage.

Bomber fans are already saying Alex who?

Girardi calls latest A-Rod controversy an 'MLB issue'

Joe Girardi says he has no plans to address his players about reports that Alex Rodriguez allegedly tried to buy clinic documents in the Biogenesis scandal in order to get rid of evidence.

The New York Yankees manager made it clear that the latest flap involving his rehabbing third baseman is something he will distance from his club.

"It's an MLB issue," Girardi said Saturday afternoon before the Yanks game against Baltimore at the Stadium. "Do I get a memo on my desk? No, I don't get a memo on my desk."

Rodriguez, who is rehabbing from hip surgery as controversy swirls around him, is not currently around the Yankees, who began a six-game homestand Friday night, Girardi said. He made an appearance on Opening Day at the Stadium, but was not introduced to the crowd.

"He has not been around this time," Girardi said. "The last time, he was here. I have not seen him since we got back."

Meanwhile, A-Rod was spotted relaxing and sunning himself with his girlfriend Torrie Wilson in Miami on Friday.

A-Rod and Torrie Wilson in Miami

Girardi says he speaks to the embattled third baseman about once a week, though he noted that Rodriguez speaks to the club's medical personnel much more regularly.

A-Rod at Yankee Stadium Opening Day but not in pre-game intros

If you thought you saw Alex Rodriguez wearing his New York Yankees uniform and lurking around the dugout during Monday's Opening Day ceremonies at Yankee Stadium— you are correct.

The ailing slugger made his long-awaited reunion with his Yankees teammates after undergoing hip surgery this winter but was not introduced to the fans during pre-game festivities.

According to Yankee officials, A-Rod made the decision to not take part in the introductions — even though the injured Mark Teixeira donned pinstripes and garnered a round of applause.

"It was his [Rodriguez] decision," Yankee spokesperson Jason Zillo said, "He preferred not to be introduced."

Rodriguez told reporters he didn't "need to be introduced to feel like I'm part of this team." Asked if he wanted to be introduced, the third baseman said, "I'll tell you what — when I get introduced, I want to be on the field and not look back."

It would have been Rodriguez's first public appearance in front of Yankees fans since last October, undergoing the January operation and being linked to the Biogenesis anti-aging clinic in Miami.

A suspension, not the hip surgery, might keep A-Rod from getting that introduction longer than the injury.

Rodriguez admitted before the game that he has met with the player's association about the investigation into Biogenesis but declined to go into details.

"I'm not going to comment on that, he said. "We put out a statement and we'll definetly stick by that."

A-Rod said his rehab from the surgery was going well, but refused to comment on whether or not the Yankees would be voiding the rest of his five-year, $114 million contract.

He put no dates on his return timetable either.

"It's too early to determine that right now," said Rodriguez — who knows it will be at least July before he comes back but insists he intends to be back this season. "That's the plan, absolutely."

A-Rod: I can't wait to rejoin 'great' Yankees team

One day after being spotted outside a Manhattan restaurant for the first time since his name was linked to the Biogenesis scandal — an anti-aging clinic being investigated by MLB for performance-enhancing drugs — Alex Rodriguez issued a statement saying he is getting ready to rejoin his Yankees teammates but didn't address the PED accusations.

"Right now I’m dedicating 100% of my energy and focus on my rehabilitation. I am conducting two rehab sessions each and every day in an effort to get back on the field and rejoin my Yankees teammates," Rodriguez said in his statement. "I think we have a great team and I want to be a part of it."

The 37-year-old A-Rod is expected to be out until midseason after surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left hip. Some experts think his return could take longer.

Right after the Jan. 16 operation, The Miami News Times reported that records from the Biogenesis clinic were uncovered alleging that Rodriguez purchased PEDs over the course of four years.  The facility is under investigation by MLB.

A-Rod's statement didn't mention the PED controversy but his spokesman reiterated  that the Yankees third baseman is currently "working on rehabilitating his surgically repaired hip under the supervision of Dr. Brian (sic) Kelly and his trainer Pete Draovitch."

On Wednesday, A-Rod was photographed hobbling out of of the Atlantic Grill seafood eatery with his girlfriend Torrie Wilson, but clammed up when reporters approached. 

The Yankees $114 million hardball and chain has denied he got PEDs from Anthony Bosch — the clinic's owner — through his spokesman, but A-Rod still has not yet addressed the matter publicly himself.

Yankee manager Joe Girardi said Rodriguez would not be joining his teammates in Tampa for spring training while he rehabs.

A-Rod spotted for first time since Biogenesis scandal

Alex Rodriguez was spotted leaving a popular Manhattan restaurant Wednesday afternoon for the first time since being linked to the Biogenesis PED scandal, but had nothing to say about the MLB investigation involving the New York Yankees star.

While A-Rod's teammates work out in the Yankees Tampa training camp, the third baseman had lunch at the Atlantic Grill with his girlfriend Torrie Wilson.  He was photographed hobbling out of the eatery and into a Cadillac SUV with Wilson and an unidentified man.

The Yankees third baseman — who is rehabbing his surgically-repaired hip — has been keeping a low profile since being linked to the anti-aging clinic in Miami. The 37-year-old slugger is expected to be out of action until at least the All-Star Break — if not the entire season.

It was the first look at A-Rod since he posted photos of himself right after having surgery Jan. 16.  The Biogenesis report broke soon after that.

The sighting of the casually dressed A-Rod comes on the heels of reports that he is being looked at in the MLB investigation of Dr. Anthony Galea as well.

A-Rod must have a fondness for seafood because he has clammed up about the probe and has been hitting the famous fish restaurant for the past three days, according to an Atlantic Grill source.

A parking attendant next to the high-end restaurant said he couldn't get the $114 million player to say anything.

"We tried to talk to him.  He rushed inside the restaurant quickly," said Marcel Jeudi.  "He didn't even acknowledge us."

"I wanted to ask him how we could get him out of his contract," said another employee.

Unless your name is Oprah, don't hold your breath waiting for an answer.

Through a spokesman, Rodriguez has denied any relationship with the now-closed clinic and its founder Anthony Bosch.

Cano denies any ties to Biogenesis clinic or PED use

Robinson Cano has acknowledged his close friendship with Alex Rodriguez and Melky Cabrera, but the Yankees second baseman said he doesn't know anything about Biogenesis — the anti-aging clinic that had both players' names listed in its records.

Asked at the end of a press conference Monday at George M. Steinbrenner Field if he ever used performance-enhancing drugs or was anyway linked to Biogenesis, Cano didn't answer the first question and only answered the second.

"I don't know where that place is at," said Cano. "The first time I heard about that was when the things came out."

The "things" he speaks of are reports that Rodriguez and Cabrera were linked to PEDs through the Miami clinic's records and is now being investigated by MLB.

Three reporters followed Cano out of the presser into the parking lot and — after he didn't answer the question regarding ever using PEDs — the Yankees slugger finally answered "No" to ever using the banned substances.

Since Cano is so close to Rodriguez and Cabrera, many consider him guilty just by association.

"It doesn't matter who you are hanging out [with], Cano said. "Everyone has their personal lives and they do what they want. Like I say, through the good and the bad times  they are always going to be my friends. I'll let them handle it."

The perennial All-Star has never tested positive for PEDs, despite false reports tweeted by a North Carolina TV station last summer, but the implication of guilty by association comes at a bad time for Cano as he plays out the season before becoming a highly desirable free agent.

Cano, who is represented by Scott Boras, may be seeking a 10-year, $275 million deal similar to A-Rod's — one that will pay Cano until he's 40-years-old.

The badgered ballplayer defended his deflection of the PED question.

"It's always going to bother you when somebody tries to say stuff like that," said a defiant Cano. "These kinds of things, sometimes as a player, you know what you do and what you're capable of doing you'll be fine.  It's more your family. Those are the kinds of things that really bother me."

Man suspected of selling PEDs to A-Rod is a lifelong Mets fan

The man Major League Baseball and Drug Enforcement Administration agents have accused of peddling performance-enhancing drugs — and have linked to New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez — is a native New Yorker and lifelong Mets fan.

Anthony Bosch — who is suspected of supplying the PEDs to A-Rod and as many as 20 professional athletes — grew up in Queens before he moved to Coral Gables, Fla. as a kid.

"Tony's been a baseball aficionado since the day I met him," former business partner Roger De Armas, who grew up in Astoria with Bosch, told The New York Post.

Bosch loved his hometown Mets  so much he even founded and managed a softball team of medical professionals named the Miami Meds — a tongue-in-cheek reference to his beloved team.

Bosch and De Armas hooked up later in Miami as adults and founded Miami Med Management Consultants in 1986.  The company — which sold home medical equipment — folded, leading to a lawsuit from an investor, said De Armas.

In 2010, Bosch would open Biogenesis — an anti-aging clinic next to the University of Miami.

Records from the since closed clinic were obtained by The Miami New Times and opened up a Pandora's Box of accusations against Rodriguez and the other prominent athletes.  Biogenesis reportedly sold testosterone cream, human growth hormone and other prohibited drugs to A-Rod over the past four years.

Rodriguez has denied any involvement with the clinic.

"I still consider Tony a friend," said De Armas, who ran into Bosch last year. "I figure the last thing he wants to be doing is being on the phone explaining what he was doing — or not doing — the last four years."

Mets 1, Yankees 0.