CHARLESTON, S.C.—It's no hits and no worries so far for Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez.
The three-time AL MVP grounded out twice and turned a double play Wednesday night in the second game of his minor league rehab stint with Class-A Charleston.
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Rodriguez, who is recovering from left hip surgery in January, also went hitless in his first game with the RiverDogs. But the third baseman,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], who turns 38 on July 27, isn't panicking about his slow start — yet.
"I don't mind if I save all my hits for New York,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych]," he said with a grin.
Rodriguez plans to work out at Riley Park on Thursday before leaving for the Yankees' spring training complex in Florida. He'll play for the Yankees' minor league team in Tampa on Friday.
He said Tuesday he likely would need each of the 20 allowed rehab games to get back in shape. It sure looked that way in his two nights in Charleston.
In his first game since a miserable October, he hit into a double play and struck out in two at-bats. Then he struggled against 19-year-old right-hander Mauricio Cabrera of Rome, an affiliate of the Atlanta Braves.
Rodriguez swung at the first pitch he saw from Cabrera and grounded out to first. He found out when he got back to the dugout that Cabrera's pitch was clocked at 101 mph.
"I couldn't believe it," he said. "It's not very often you see 101."
He came up again in the third and bounced to second, leaving him 0 for 4 in two games at Charleston. He did start an inning-ending double play in the top half of the third.
"It wasn't too bad," Rodriguez said. "That's the first time in eight months I've gone out there back to back."
The Rome Braves rallied for an 8-5 victory in 10 innings nearly three hours after Rodriguez left the game,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych].
Rodriguez's stay in Charleston was a success for the RiverDogs, who welcomed a crowd of 7,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych],667 on Wednesday night after an announced attendance of 8,255 on Tuesday night.
Rodriguez signed autographs for the RiverDogs after he left Wednesday's game, and then spent about 20 minutes signing for fans in the right-field stands. He had a playful exchange with 12-year-old Charlie Stephens in Charleston's clubhouse, trading an autographed hat for the boy's Astros cap before giving that to him as well.
&quot,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych];How's that for a deal?" he said.
Rodriguez also posed for pictures with musician Darius Rucker. "I love this place," Rodriguez said.
There's a chance Rodriguez might return to Charleston on his rehab tour,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], but he's unsure of his schedule past the next few days.

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