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A day after baseball suffered another black eye due to a player testing positive for a banned substance, Rodriguez makes his season debut following hip surgery - and plays his first game since admitting to using performance-enhancing drugs - when the sinking Yankees face the Baltimore Orioles on Friday night.
Rodriguez rejoins New York (13-15) at a time when it is in desperate need of a spark, losing five straight for the first time since May 2007.
“We’re all very encouraged that he’s doing well and we’re all anxious to get him back,” said Yankees manager Joe Girardi, whose team lost 8-6 to Tampa Bay on Thursday night.
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