Alex Rodriguez Suspension 2014: Yankees Star Will Miss Entire 2014 Season; Is There A Chance He Could Still Play?
New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez will officially miss the 2014 season.
The veteran third baseman has been embroiled in a biogenesis scandal that has rocked baseball. Major League Baseball has accused him of violating the league's drug policy, which A-Rod's camp vehemently denies. Rodriguez's side has fought back and forth with Major League Baseball for the last several months dating back to when A-Rod was challenging the original 211-game suspension.
ESPN New York reported that a source close to Rodriguez said that the 39 year old plans to attend Spring Training thanks to a "loophole" in his suspension. Rodriguez plans to attend in case the ruling somehow gets overturned.
The star released a statement following the news that he will miss the season.
"I am confident that when a Federal Judge reviews the entirety of the record, the hearsay testimony of a criminal whose own records demonstrate that he dealt drugs to minors, and the lack of credible evidence put forth by MLB, that the judge will find that the panel blatantly disregarded the law and facts, and will overturn the suspension," part of the letter said. "No player should have to go through what I have been dealing with, and I am exhausting all options to ensure not only that I get justice, but that players' contracts and rights are protected through the next round of bargaining, and that the MLB investigation and arbitration process cannot be used against others in the future the way it is currently being used to unjustly punish me."
Rodriguez played at the end of the 2013 season because he was appealing his suspension, but now that it has already been processed through the arbitrator, he is seemingly out of options for now.
There has been speculation that Rodriguez could retire considering how difficult it could be to return for yet another year when he will be 40 years old.
The Yankees open the season in Houston on Apr. 1 before facing the Blue Jays in Toronto's home opener. New York will not be opening up at home until April 7.
Do you think A-Rod will make it on the field during the regular season or would another appeal get denied? Let us know in the comments section.
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