Yankees might have Rodriguez back soon

Alex Rodriguez’s progress in rehabilitation after hip surgery is going so well that he could rejoin the New York Yankees by the end of April.

When Rodriguez underwent hip surgery March 9, the initial prognosis was for him to be sidelined from six to nine weeks. That would have had him returning anywhere from the end of April to the middle of May.

Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long told the New York Post that Rodriguez has begun to hit and “feels 70%.” Long speaks with the third baseman daily, the Post reported.

Citing an unnamed official with the team, the Post also said it’s possible Rodriguez could be back on the field by late April if the Yankees were to support that.

The three-time American League most valuable player has been rehabilitating and working out in Colorado and eventually will move his workouts to the Yankees’ spring-training complex in Tampa, Fla.

Braves to retire Maddux’s number

The Atlanta Braves will honor former pitcher Greg Maddux by retiring his number July 17 and inducting the four-time National League Cy Young Award winner into the team’s Hall of Fame.

Maddux’s No. 31 will be the sixth Braves number to be retired.

Etc.

The season opener between the Kansas City Royals and Chicago White Sox scheduled for today was postponed because snow is in the forecast. The game will be played Tuesday at 11 a.m. PDT. It is the first time since 1982 that the White Sox’s opener is postponed because of bad weather. . . . Tampa Bay traded pitcher Jason Hammel to the Colorado Rockies for minor league pitcher Aneury Rodriguez, meaning Jeff Niemann, the No. 4 overall draft pick in 2004, becomes the Rays’ fifth starter.

--

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

How’s the weather?

Forecast for San Diego, where the Dodgers open today against the Padres:

70?

sunny

Forecast for Chicago, where the White Sox were scheduled to open today against Kansas City in a game that has already been postponed:

35?

snow showers

Source: The Weather Channel