He was a possibility to play last night but manager Joe Girardi elected to give him another day of rest. Rodriguez has not played since last Friday. But he came away encouraged last night after making an adjustment to his swing to alleviate the pain in his thumb.
Rodriguez has started holding the bat with a small gap between his hands, which he said has eased the soreness that came when his top (right) hand pushed down on his bottom (left) hand.
He did hitting drills and took batting practice for the first time since aggravating the injury.
“It’s pain-free, because I never get to the thumb,” said Rodriguez, who made the change at the suggestion of hitting coach Kevin Long. “It’s definitely going to be a little adjustment, but anything that can alleviate pain is a good move. I’m excited about it. I haven’t been this excited in at least a month.”
To help keep his hands separated, Rodriguez wrapped a ring of tape around his bat, which fits between his two hands. Rodriguez has been plagued with the sprained left thumb since Aug. 21.
Still, it’s possible Rodriguez may not return to the Yankees at full strength, even if the team remains cautious with its approach.
“I try not to think about that, but it is a real possibility,” Girardi said.
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Source : http://www.nj.com/yankees/index.ssf/2011/09/alex_rodriguez_improving_may_r.html
