NY Yankees Rumors: Brian Cashman and Joe Girardi at Odds over Playing Alex Rodriguez at First Base

By Cheri Cheng - 02 Sep '15 16:50PM

Brian Cashman and Joe Girardi of the New York Yankees are reportedly at odds over who they should start at first base.

The Yankees' first baseman Mark Teixeira is currently undergoing a second round of tests on his right shin. Teixeira sustained the injury when he fouled a ball off of the shin on Aug. 17.

"His bone bruise hasn't healed at all,'' Cashman revealed. "There is no stress fracture and that was our biggest worry, but the bone bruise hasn't healed. He has some soft-tissue inflammation and inflammation around the nerve so he received some sort of an injection to calm that down. Obviously, the bone bruise is the big issue and there has been no healing. They put him back on crutches and we are looking at weeks.''

While Teixeira has been dealing with his injury, rookie Greg Bird has gotten the start at first. Even though Bird has been pretty solid, batting .237/.313/.373, Girardi is reportedly thinking about starting Alex Rodriguez at first especially since they will be facing a lot of lefties.

"Because I think our hope was that, when we left on that road trip [last week], you would have Tex back by the time we got home [Friday], or even on the road trip," Girardi said reported by the New York Post. "But now, I think you have to think about it [starting Arod] because you're going to see left-handers. There's left-handers in our division. There's a lot of division opponents in the last 32 games or whatever we have left. I think you have to start debating the idea."

Cashman, however, is not on the same page.

"I don't think he can play first base," Cashman said to Roger Rubin of the New York Daily News. "I would prefer to protect Alex and utilize other choices, but that's from the GM's seat. From Joe's seat, it's understandable and makes sense, you try to find your flexibility and try to find where your liabilities are. Alex is a huge bat ... I just don't think we can, personally."

The two will reportedly talk about the possibility of switching it up at first. Brendan Ryan is also another option.