Major League Baseball

Rodriguez likely to play Monday

Published Aug. 4, 2013 1:00 a.m. ET

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Alex Rodriguez faces a lengthy suspension by Major League Baseball, yet there's a good chance he will be on the field for the New York Yankees on Monday night.

Rodriguez will be suspended through at least the 2014 season on Monday as part of MLB's Biogenesis investigation, according to USA Today, but he plans to file an appeal that will enable him to play that night against the Chicago White Sox.

The appeals process could take weeks and perhaps months, given the voluminous evidence likely to be submitted by MLB and Rodriguez’s representatives. The third-party arbitrator, Fredric R. Horowitz, would have the option of adjusting the suspension length if he does not rule entirely in favor of MLB or Rodriguez.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said he has "penciled in" Rodriguez for his starting lineup when the Yankees open a three-game series in Chicago, according to ESPN.

Rodriguez’s suspension is expected to be tied solely to a drug-policy violation and thus eligible to be appealed, sources confirmed to FOXSports.com baseball writers Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi.

Commissioner Bud Selig reportedly considered suspending Rodriguez under the "best interests of baseball" clause, which could have made the suspension effective immediately, but that now seems unlikely.

"I'm excited to play Monday," Rodriguez said after drawing four straight walks with Double-A Trenton on Saturday night in his final rehab start.

Approximately 12 players in all are expected to be suspended Monday through the Biogenesis probe, according to one source with knowledge of MLB’s plans. Multiple players were weighing whether to accept suspensions or appeal as of Sunday afternoon.

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