Evan Longoria on Alex Rodriguez’s return: “I don’t think it’s fair”
By Mike Dyce
Alex Rodriguez returned to Major League Baseball the same day he was suspended over 200 games for his PED use stemming from the Biogenesis clinic investigation. That same day he batted clean up for the New York Yankees. A-Rod is the only player to appeal his suspension and because he is appealing he can play while the appeal process is underway.
Tampa Bay Rays’ Evan Longoria doesn’t think it is fair.
From SI.com’s Jimmy Traina for his Hot Clicks Podcast:
"I don’t think it’s fair for the other teams, because I’m in the American League East. Whether he is 100 percent or not, whether his mind is where it needs to be or not, he can affect the game in a positive way. He can affect the game in a tremendous way, which is being in the lineup. In a pennant race, he’s a guy you don’t want in the lineup. Looking at it from that perspective and that perspective only, I don’t think it’s fair that we can’t have an arbitrator hear the case sooner.If you get in a bench clearing brawl and a guy punches another guy and is ejected from the game and gets a 10-game suspension, you appeal that and it’s heard in the next three weeks. You either get 10 games or six games or whatever. I don’t understand why that process can’t happen for this."
Currently the Rays are 2 games behind the Boston Red Sox in the AL East and holding onto a 3.5 game lead over the Baltimore Orioles (also of the AL East) in the Wild Card race.