Off Topic » New York Yankees that he can play third base

NEW YORK, N.Y. - The closer spring training gets, the more apparent it becomes that Alex Rodriguez will have to prove to the New York Yankees that he can play third base after a yearlong layoff.I dont know what to expect with Alex. I think its every colour on the rainbow, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Friday during a telephone conference call to discuss the acquisitions of reliever Andrew Miller and shortstop Didi Gregorius.Rodriguez, the three-time AL MVP, was suspended last season for violations of baseballs drug agreement and labour contract. He is owed $61 million by the Yankees in the final three seasons of his contract.Chase Headley, who took over as the starter when he was obtained from San Diego in July, appears likely to leave as a free agent. When Cashman discussed third base possibilities during his call, he mentioned Martin Prado, another summertime acquisition.He did not list A-Rod.Cashman said, I avoid actually penciling his name in and said he strives to answer questions about Rodriguez as honestly and diplomatically at the same time as I possibly can.The extreme hope is that you get the middle-of-the-lineup bat that can play third whenever you want, if not all the time, and be a productive middle-of-the-lineup hitter, Cashman said. But at the same time, the worst-case scenario is that hes no longer a third baseman and is not a productive bat and youre looking to find places to play, whether its in the DH role or spot starter here or there at third.Rodriguez turns 40 on July 27 and has not played a full season since 2007 due to leg injuries, operations on both hips and the long suspension.I dont know where on that spectrum were going to fall, Cashman said. Well find out once were getting through spring training, hes knocking the rust off of playing again. Hell be in great shape. He usually always is. Normally, thats the guy that were used to.Rodriguez admitted in 2009 he used performance-enhancing substances from 2001-03 while with Texas, but he repeatedly denied using PEDs while playing for the Yankees. Given a grant of immunity by federal prosecutors, Rodriguez told investigators he did use banned substances between late 2010 and October 2012 supplied by Anthony Bosch, according to Drug Enforcement Administration documents provided by the government to defence lawyers. Bosch owned the Biogenesis of America clinic in Coral Gables, Florida. Giannis Antetokounmpo Jersey . -- Conor Casey scored two goals, his first of the season, as the Philadelphia Union beat Chivas USA 3-0 on Saturday night. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Jersey .com) - The Toronto Raptors are paying Rudy Gay a visit on Wednesday night when they head into the Sleep Train Arena to take on the Sacramento Kings. http://www.nbabucksproshop.com/Authentic-Khris-Middleton-Bucks-Jersey/ .C. -- Kevin Harvick won his first career pole at Darlington Raceway on Friday as he looks to chase his first Southern 500. Giannis Antetokounmpo Bucks Jersey .Tatjana Haenni, FIFAs head of womens competitions, told a FIFA Live Your Goals Tour news conference Friday that the artificial turf is being tested to make sure it meets standards. Khris Middleton Jersey . Or maybe he already did. Clark hit his first homer, Wily Peralta pitched into the seventh inning, and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Miami Marlins 4-1 Wednesday night. DENVER -- Their stars were spectators on this night and the Pittsburgh Penguins still managed to cool off the Colorado Avalanche. Jussi Jokinen skated across the front of the crease and roofed a shot over sprawling goalie Semyon Varlamov to give the Penguins a 3-2 win in a shootout on Sunday night. After Jokinens goal, Marc-Andre Fleury made a pad save on Gabriel Landeskogs shot, snapping Colorados six-game winning streak and denying Varlamov franchise records for most home and overall wins in a season. Colorado coach Patrick Roy said his team might have taken the Penguins lightly after seeing Sydney Crosby and Chris Kunitz joining centre Evgeni Malkin (foot) in street clothes, leaving Pittsburgh without its top three scorers. "Tonight when we saw Crosby not in the lineup, Kunitz not in the lineup, on and on, I think it was a normal reaction to say, Hey, we have an easier game tonight," Roy said. Locked into the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, the Penguins sat several of their regulars. Crosby missed his first game of the season because of an unspecified injury. He has never played all 82 games in a season. They also were without defencemen Brooks Orpik and Olli Maatta, scratched with unspecified injuries, just like Kunitz. "I probably would have done the same," Roy said. "Were thinking of doing the same at the end depending where we are in the standings. Were going to rest Varly probably the last two games. Absolutely not (offended). I think they did what was the right thing for their team. The only sad part theres a lot of people coming here to see Sidney Crosby play. Thats fine, thats part of our business." Landeskog had mixed feelings about Crosby sitting this one out. "Of course hes the best player in the league," Landeskog said. "I would have liked playing against him. But at the same time he took a slap shot off my knee the last time we played against him." The Penguins played with precision and poise despite having nothing on the linee and a bevy of backups.dddddddddddd "Yeah we did," Brandon Sutter after posting his first multiple-goal game of the season. "We didnt have a great game last night (a 4-0 loss at Minnesota) but to come back here 24 hours later and play the way we did was great, especially with the lineup we had. Everyone played well, top to bottom. You give guys an opportunity its amazing what can happen. A lot of guys played great, especially our goaltender. He was awesome." Fleury, who stopped all three shots in the shootout, had 39 saves, including one in the closing seconds of overtime after Penguins defenceman Paul Martin was sent to the penalty box with 38 seconds remaining for delay of game after he knocked the puck over the glass in the defensive zone. "Its a credit tto our team to be able to battle without a lot of key guys," Fleury said. The Avs lost for just the fifth time in 39 one-goal games this season (28-5-6), and they can blame their 0-for-5 performance on power plays, something Fleury had a lot to do with. After falling behind 2-0 on Sutters pair of second-period goals, Colorado scored twice in the third period. Ryan OReilly scored his team-leading 28th goal of the season 18 seconds into the period, and Patrick Bordeleau redirected defenceman Tyson Barries shot into the net with 3:13 left. Varlamov stopped all 31 shots on Saturday in St. Louis to earn his 40th win of the season, tying Roys franchise record. He finished 24-10-3 on home ice, matching Roys record for home wins set in 2000-01, when the Avs won the Stanley Cup for a second time. With the point they picked up, the Avs are two ahead of Chicago for second place in the Central Division, which would give them home-ice advantage in their first-round playoff matchup. "To get two points would have made us feel better, but at least we got one," Bordeleau said. NOTES: The Penguins avenged a 1-0 loss to Colorado at home on Oct. 21. ... Avalanche D Cory Sarich missed his third straight game with a back injury. ' ' '