Alex Rodriguez has Grade 1 quad strain, will not join Yankees in Texas

Alex Rodriguez left his rehab game on Friday with tightness in his left quad. (Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

Alex Rodriguez has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 quad strain and will not be ready to join the Yankees during their four-game series in Texas from Monday to Thursday, the team announced.

He will return to Tampa for treatment instead.

https://twitter.com/Yankees/status/359096036054142978

A Tuesday return for Alex Rodriguez now appears unlikely.

Rodriguez will miss what was expected to be his final rehab game on Sunday with tightness in his quad, and will instead travel to New York for an MRI.

He was hoping to fly to Texas -- where the Yankees will play the Rangers beginning on Monday -- to work out for the Yankees on Monday and then be activated from the disabled list on Tuesday, but the injury "muddles the picture," according to The New York Post's Joel Sherman.

From the report:

So what A-Rod wants and what will occur could be different. In addition, the Yanks have to approve any plan and it is clear that the team and Rodriguez have not been in sync often during his rehab, and that their relationship is not filled with a ton of trust.

There remains an undercurrent that Rodriguez’s plan has been to rehab, but never play as part of a bigger scheme to protect as much of his future salary as possible in case he is suspended for ties to the Biogenesis case. But it was believed that was tied to him proving to insurance companies that he simply could not perform due to two major hip surgeries, not a quad problem.

Rodriguez suffered on the injury on Friday while running to stretch a single into a double. He arrived at PNC Field, the Yankees' Triple-A home, at 11:40 a.m. on Sunday to receive treatment.