Joe Girardi turns down Alex Rodriguez's request to play third base on Friday
New York Yankees designated hitter Alex Rodriguez wanted to play his final game on Friday at third base, but manager Joe Girardi turned down the request.
“Tuesday, I came into his office,” Rodriguez said. “He told me what the plan was and I said ‘Well, any chance I could play third base on Friday?’ He just said no.”
“We thought about it, but he hasn’t done any work,” Girardi said ahead of Thursday’s game in Boston. “It’s not that I wouldn't like to see it, but we’re in a part of the season where we are trying to win. We are still in the business of trying to win games.”
Rodriguez has not played in the field this season and only started at third base twice last season.
The Yankees are in fourth place in the AL East with a 58–56 record, 6.5 games behind the first-place Blue Jays and 3.5 games out of the second wild-card spot.
• A-Rod says goodbye to Fenway as he prepares for final game as a Yankee
“It would have just been fun,” Rodriguez added on the Michael Kay Show on 98.7 FM, “Look, it wasn’t a big request. I get that we are playing games. I totally get the answer.”
The team announced last week that Rodriguez would retire and then serve as the Yankees’ special adviser.
