Alex Rodriguez probably had the best minor-league rehab start in the history of baseball.
In Wednesday’s start with Double-A Trenton, Rodriguez met the Thunder’s famous bat dog, Derby, who showed a man with 692 career homers and 14 All-Star appearances that he’ll never be the main attraction at Trenton’s Arm & Hammer Park.
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Hey, can I have my bat back? #SoMuchForTheBatBoy #BatDog #trentonthunder pic.twitter.com/GgBq5mlINF
— Alex Rodriguez (@AROD) May 25, 2016
But A-Rod did his best to steal the show back from Derby with a two-run homer capped with a Major League-level bat flip.
.@MiLB game, @MLB #BatFlip. https://t.co/4ekjUlMlUq pic.twitter.com/KnKTLxhAIc
— MLB GIFS (@MLBGIFs) May 26, 2016
"My job is to give Joe (Girardi) and the Yankees quality at-bats, be a dangerous bat in the middle of the lineup and help us put up crooked numbers,” Rodriguez said after going 3-for-6 in his two games. “You have to walk before you run, but that was a good start."
Rodriguez was batting just .194 with five home runs and 12 RBI in 20 games before his hamstring injury. But the Yankees are surging as of late, winning 14 of their last 21 games, and a healthy, bat-flipping Rodriguez in the middle of the lineup would only help. It’s just too bad Derby can’t come with him.