Yankees' Alex Rodriguez playing through bone bruise
Yankees DH Alex Rodriguez played in the Yankees' 6–3 loss to the Rays on Tuesday night despite a bone bruise on his left knee.
The team announced his injury before the game, after Rodriguez underwent an MRI. He suffered the injury sliding headfirst into home plate on Sunday in New York's 5–0 defeat of Toronto, who they trailed by three games in the AL East entering Tuesday's slate of games.
What was though to be a similar injury sidelined Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira for weeks, until he was diagnosed with a fracture in his right shin and ruled out for the season last week.
Rodriguez, 40, hit third for the Yankees against the Rays and in spite of the injury smashed his 32nd homer of the season a solo shot off Jake Odorizzi in the first inning. The home run was the 686th of Rodriguez's career and also moved him past recent Hall of Fame inductee Craig Biggio for 21st on the all-time hits list.
After missing the entire 2014 season while suspended for his role in the Biogenesis scandal, after Tuesday's homer Rodriguez was hitting .258 with 83 RBIs and an .868 OPS.
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- Jeremy Woo
