Major League Baseball

A-Rod upsets Yankees brass on first day in spring camp

Published Feb. 24, 2015 3:35 a.m. ET

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Leave it to A-Rod to ruffle feathers on his first day at the Yankees spring training complex in Tampa, Florida.

Alex Rodriguez showed up at the New York Yankees spring site on Monday morning, two days earlier than expected.

That should be good news, right?

Nope.

The New York Daily News reported members of the Yankees front office didn't appreciate A-Rod's early arrival.

"He's learned nothing," a Yankees executive told the Daily News. "He's the same, old guy. He just did what he wanted to do."

The Yankees actually didn't mind A-Rod showing up early; they just would have appreciated a heads-up so the team's media relations department would have been better prepared.

A-Rod worked out, taking grounders and batting practice — including hitting six home runs on 71 swings.

It was Rodriguez's first workout at the Yankees complex since his 162-game suspension for violating the league's performance-enhancing drugs policy.

A-Rod has a good reason to get started early. After last season, GM Brian Cashman said the 39-year-old slugger would no longer be the club's everyday third baseman after the team signed free-agent Chase Headley.

The Yankees are hoping A-Rod, who at 654 homers is six shy of catching Willie Mays for fourth on MLB's all-time list, will be the club's main designated hitter.

The rest of the position players are expected to report to camp on Wednesday with the team's first full-squad workout slated for Thursday.

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