Source: Reuters.com

The Yankees manager, Joe Girardi, reportedly shared that the third baseman may be included in the lineup in the play on Monday, once his disabled status becomes active again before this telling game.

While on the disabled list for the past two weeks, A. Rod has been undergoing rehab in the minor leagues, first for the hip surgery he went through and then for a quad train.

The Yankees are now set to engage the White Sox in a three-game series on Monday. Even though Monday is very near, the Yankees' manager firmly believes that the third baseman can be included in the game because the suspension will be up for appeal. Girardi can even envision A. Rod in the game.

Asked if he thinks the other Yankee members will act differently around the controversial player, the manager answered in the negative. "I don't suspect it will be awkward," Girardi said. "The guys know him as a teammate. They've been around Alex, laughed with him." Everything will be as it is, even though there is going to be more media abuzz. The team is as focused as ever.

Girardi also reported that the third baseman himself is very excited to be back. Girardi have discussed these through texts with A. Rod, after his rehab game for the Double-A Trenton Thunder just this last Saturday night. Alex Rod's controversial link to the Biogenesis Clinic is just one of the most controversial cases linking athletes to performance-enhancing drugs, which is on the rise.