ARod takes his cuts in first rehab game

Yanks third baseman goes 1-for-6, runs bases at half-speed

By Dawn Klemish / Special to MLB.com

TAMPA -- Alex Rodriguez went 1-for-6 with a home run and two walks in his first rehab game since March 9 surgery, ran the bases at half-speed and experienced no setbacks, a good sign the Yankees third baseman is on track -- if not ahead of schedule -- for his May 15 return to the Major Leagues.

"It's been a long time," Rodriguez said after the intrasquad game held at the Yankees' Minor League training complex on Thursday. "It feels good to be in the box and see some professional pitching."

Rodriguez was originally given a timetable of 6-9 weeks for his return from surgery to repair a right labral hip tear, and he is doing so well that Dr. Marc Philippon, who performed the procedure, said Rodriguez may be able to return as early as May 8.

On Thursday morning, Rodriguez was projected to get about five at-bats as a designated hitter but ended up taking eight trips to the plate. He took a short batting practice on an adjacent field prior to the 11 a.m. ET game, and then returned to the field afterward for an additional 20 minutes in the cage.

After jogging in the outfield for about 15 minutes, Rodriguez went inside the complex for an additional workout.

Rodriguez was hitless through five plate appearances before he swung at the first pitch he saw from Minor League pitcher Jose Ramirez in the third inning and drove it over the wall in left-center field. He jogged to first base and returned to the dugout.

Rodriguez fanned on six pitches in the top of the first inning with runners at the corners. In the bottom of the same frame, he flew out to deep center, and jogged half-speed to second base.

After a second-inning flyout to right field, Rodriguez continued to run the bases, albeit at half-speed. He struck out looking in his fourth at-bat and walked in both his fifth and seventh plate appearances, sandwiching the long ball in between.

"It's the first day," said Rodriguez, who reported to Tampa on April 13 to begin his rehab. "It just feels good to actually execute the swing and track some pitches. I think I saw about 30 pitches today and that felt pretty good. Today's the first step, tomorrow's another."

Rodriguez is scheduled to travel to Bradenton, Fla., for a Friday afternoon extended Spring Training game at the Pittsburgh Pirates' complex, during which he'll continue to swing freely and run the bases.

When asked if he knew a time frame for his return, Rodriguez answered, "I don't know ... hopefully soon." He added that he'll begin to run the bases at "100 percent" and "make some good turns" in the next few days, and said he believes the biggest hurdle will be sliding in game situations-- he's already practiced on a special mat.

"I think the last thing I'm going to do here before I leave is sliding," he said. "Sliding, I think I have the most reservations about ... but everything else, we're on schedule."