ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez went 1-for-4 with a solo homer in his first extended spring training game Saturday.
It was his first game since being sidelined by a strained right quadriceps April 28. Hebatted five times against David Price, taken first overall in last year’s amateur draft by the Tampa Bay Rays. A-Rod hit a long opposite-field homer to right on a 95 mph fastball, walked once, flew out and struck out twice.
Rodriguez is scheduled to take part in a simulated game today and play in another extended spring game Monday. Baring any setbacks, he will rejoin the Yankees on Tuesday.
Footnotes.
Houston left-hander Wandy Rodriguez pitched a simulated game and is scheduled to make two rehabilitation starts in the minor leagues. Rodriguez, out since April 20 with a strained left groin, threw 80 pitches. He could return to the Astros’ rotation when they play in Milwaukee on May 30.
• Joakim Soria, who has 11 saves and a 1.04 ERA, and Kansas City agreed to an $8.75 million, three- year contract extension, a deal that includes three club options that could raise the value to about $32.75 million.
• Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton, the major- league RBI leader (49), left Saturday’s game against Houston for a pinch runner after a fifth-inning single. Hamilton was still sore from the tumble he took while almost making a spectacular running catch in center field Friday.
• Cleveland sent left-handed starter Jeremy Sow- ers to Triple-A Buffalo and called up first baseman Michael Aubrey to make his big-league debut.
