New York Yankees fans who are waiting for the first game of Alex Rodriguez in nearly 18 months will have to wait another day as the team announced A-Rod will not play in their first home exhibition game on Tuesday.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi announced that Rodriguez will not be featured in their game against the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday. Yankees regulars, aside from Jacoby Ellsbury and Brett Gardner, were also ruled out of their spring opener.

According to Girardi, Rodriguez will play in his first game back from a one-year suspension as a designated hitter on Wednesday against the Phillies. A-Rod will get at least three at-bats at Steinbrenner Field, and could get more depending on how he hits in his first three tries.

Rodriguez, who will turn 40 in July, also played at first and third base in recent training sessions. Girardi said that they are still unsure of what to expect from A-Rod, but they want him to make an impact on offense next season.

"Our hope is that he can provide some offensive punch to our lineup," Girardi said via ESPN New York. "I know it's a tall order. We know that. I mean, he's 39 and a half years old, two hip surgeries, but I don't ever count anyone out."

Meanwhile, Michael Pineda could eventually become the new ace pitcher of the Yankees after an impressive bullpen session over the past several days. Girardi was impressed with the way Pineda performed in batting practice.

"His command was outstanding and the movement was great," Girardi said of Pineda via NY Post. "His slider was good and his changeup was good. He threw a ton of strikes. He is a strike thrower. You look at a lot of his games last year and there isn't a high pitch count. He is very efficient and that is great."

The Yankees started last season with one of the best rotations in the league, but Pineda, CC Sabathia, Masahiro Tanaka and Ivan Nova all went down with injuries. Sabathia and Tanaka are still surrounded by doubts about their health, giving room for Pineda to take the lead role for the Yankees.

When asked about the possibility of being the new ace, Pineda, who was slowed down by a shoulder injury and was caught using pine tar that led to a 10-game suspension, said that he is not thinking about it as he is just focused on staying healthy for the entire 2015 MLB season.

"I feel great but I don't focus on that," Pineda said of earning the ace tag for the Yankees. "I am focused on pitching this season every five days."

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