Buster Olney Thinks the Yankees Might Bench Struggling Alex Rodriguez For Game 5 of the ALDS [UPDATE: A-Rod has been benched.]
By Jason McIntyre
Alex Rodriguez in the ALDS: 2-for-16. No extra-base hits. Nine strikeouts. At the plate he looks confused and afraid. It has been a swift downfall for A-Rod, who is only 37 but is guessing so badly with the bat that looks like he’s very near the end of his career.
(Obviously he’s not going anywhere – not when the Yankees still have to pay him $114 million over the next five years.)
Buster Olney of ESPN is guessing that A-Rod is benched for this afternoon’s Game 5 (5:07 pm, TBS):
I think this is a good guess on what the Yankees will do: Chavez at third and Ibanez in the lineup, either at DH or LF.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) October 12, 2012
[UPDATE: Alex Rodriguez has been benched. The lineup: Jeter, Ichiro, Cano, Teixeira, Ibanez, Swisher, Granderson, Martin, Chavez.]