A-Rod Won't Be Rehabbing In Tampa

From Andy McCullough:

The specter of Alex Rodriguez may loom over the Yankees as they begin spring training. But Rodriguez himself will not be in the presence of his teammates any time in the near future.

Rodriguez will continue his recovery from offseason hip surgery in New York, manager Joe Girardi explained as part of his address to reporters after pitchers and catchers reported to camp Tuesday. This decision stems from the uniqueness of Rodriguez’s procedure, which repaired a torn labrum and a bone impingement, an operation Girardi indicated is "not something that we’ve done a lot of."

He downplayed the conclusion from this unusual situation: That Rodriguez’s absence would reduce the amount of outside agitation surrounding the club. Even if Rodriguez wasn’t involved in the Biogenesis scandal involving performance-enhancing drugs, Girardi said, he would remain back home to finish his rehabilitation.

"To me, him being in New York has nothing to do with trying to get rid of the distraction," Girardi said. "It’s the best place for him to be." He added, "He’s not ready really to do anything with us yet, from a baseball standpoint."

I don't believe Girardi for a second. Of course the Yankees don't want A-Rod around. Why on earth would they? This team is under enough media scrutiny just because they're the Yankees, there's no need to throw the A-Rod circus into the mix.