Yankees place A-Rod on disabled list

New York Yankees placed third baseman Alex Rodriguez on the 15-day disabled list on Wednesday with a Grade Two strain of his right quadriceps, according to a report on the YES Network.

Rodriguez felt tightness in the quad while running to first base in the fourth inning on Tuesday. He stayed in the game but was eventually lifted for a pinch hitter in the eighth inning.

The reigning American League MVP originally suffered the injury in Baltimore on April 20 when he reached on a fielder's choice. Rodriguez was pulled in the sixth inning of that game and missed the next three contests.

"The key for me now is to get healthy," said Rodriguez.

"There's a lot of baseball to be played this year. When I get back out there, I want to be close to 100 percent"

Rodriguez has played in at least 148 games in every season since 2000.

The Yankees have been hit with a number of injuries early in the season, with shortstop Derek Jeter, first baseman Jason Giambi and catcher Jorge Posada also missing games.

The latest news on Rodriguez comes a day after Posada was placed on the 15-day disabled list for the first time in his career due to an injured right shoulder.