One for Nine, One Strikeout, Two GIDPs

Barring injury, Alex Rodriguez is coming back to Yankees this month. That isn't speculation; it's a rule. He's started a minor league rehabilitation assignment (during which he's compiled the stats in the headline). Once a player begins a rehab assignment, his team must activate or place him back on the disabled list in 20 days. Headline writers for the Post and Daily News are counting the days.

Yes, yes, I know, Alex Rodriguez. But consider the alternative. Yankees third basemen this year :

• .228 batting average, fourth-worst in the American League
• .290 on-base percentage, sixth-worst
• .309 slugging percentage, worst
• Four home runs, tied for worst

Alex Rodriguez's worst year was last year, easily. He missed a quarter of the Yankees' games, batting .272 with a .353 on-base percentage, .430 slugging percentage, and 18 home runs. Yankee third basemen were third in batting, second in on-base, third in slugging, and third in home runs.

And Rodriguez isn't the only Yankee on a rehab assignment. To date, Yankee shortstops are second-to-last in batting (.212), third-to last in on-base percentage (.272), second-to-last in slugging (.287), with two home runs.