The New York Yankees are in first place in the American League East largely because of the resurgent season designated hitter Alex Rodriguez is having. A-Rod is slashing .281/.388/.589 with 24 home runs and 62 RBI, and is second among Yankees hitters in wins above replacement (WAR).
After missing much of 2013, and then all of 2014 because of a suspension for using performance enhancing drugs, not much was expected of him. Boston Red Sox designated hitter David "Big Papi" Ortiz was asked this week about Rodriguez's stunning season, he seemed to hint that he isn't sure the PEDs are in the past.
"It is what it is," Ortiz said. "The guy is playing the right way now - as far as we know. He's having a good season and doing the right thing. I guess that deserves credit. He's having a good season. Me, personally, I thought having a year off and getting older was something that would affect you, but he looks good to me."
Ortiz appears to be finally declining with age. He has hit 20 home runs, not far off Rodriguez's pace, but his batting average has plummeted to .244. Last season he clocked 35 home runs but batted .263. Before 2013, he was above .300 for three consecutive seasons.
Ortiz and A-Rod's relationship was damaged when Rodriguez's lawyer Joe Tacopina was still sparring with MLB, and implicated that the league was on a witch hunt to get A-Rod while ignoring other suspected users. He then hinted at Big Papi without naming him.
"I'm not going to start naming all the other players, but some of them are God-like in Boston right now, and people seem to forget that," Tacopina said.
Ortiz said he and Rodriguez haven't talked since.
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