Benching of Rodriguez Prompts Questions About His Future Role Joe Girardi has ventured into uncharted territory over the past few days with his decisions regarding Alex Rodriguez, each time taking it one step closer to a point of no return. In Game 3 of the divisions series with the Orioles he pinch hit for Rodriguez in the ninth inning. In Game 4 he dropped Rodriguez two spots in the batting order and then pinch hit for him again. Now he has done something that would have been considered unthinkable just four days ago. Rodriguez was left out of the starting lineup for a decisive Game 5 Friday. At this rate he will be left off the roster for the next round of the playoffs, if the Yankees make it. "It's a tough decision, no doubt about it, because of what he's meant to our club," Girardi said. But I just felt with the trouble he's having I would go with Chavez. He said he's ready to help when he's needed to help and let's win today. Eric Chavez was in the lineup batting ninth and playing third base in place of Rodriguez, a future Hall of Fame player with 647 career home runs. Girardi said that Rodriguez has been struggling so much against right-handers in the series - 0 for 11 with 7 strikeouts - that he decided to make the radical move, and may the long-term consequences be damned. "You can't think about that now," Girardi said. You have to think about winning a game. This isn't June. This is October. Rodriguez went through pre-game warm ups Friday afternoon and was not immediately available for comment. But he said after the Orioles" 13-inning, 2-1, victory in Game 4 that he fully expected to be in the lineup for Game 5. The Orioles are starting right-handed pitcher Jason Hamel, against whom Rodriguez has had considerable success, including a .364 lifetime average and four home runs in 22 at-bats. But Girardi put more significance on the way Rodriguez has looked lately against right-handers than on his career numbers against Hamel. He went 2 for 16 in the first four games of the series with 9 strikeouts, and at times has looked as lost as the numbers indicate, especially against the right-handers. Had there had been a lefty on the mound for Game 5, Girardi said, Rodriguez would have been in the lineup. Girardi's decision could have a lasting impact not only on his relationship with Rodriguez, but on Rodriguez's status with the team over the next five years. He is owed $114 million through 2017, when he will be 42. Girardi indicated that he spoke with the General Manager Brian Cashman regarding the move, but said he often discusses the lineup with Cashman in June, too. "They allow me to make up the lineup, they do," Girardi said. So I told him what I was thinking. Girardi said he did not think that benching Rodriguez will damage his relationship with Rodriguez, and if it does, it can be repaired. You do think about that, but I think that if things become an issue, now's not the time to try and work it. We've got the whole offseason. But I don't think it's going to be an issue, I don't. Rodriguez is not the only hitter struggling right now for the Yankees. Curtis Granderson was 1 for 16 in the first four games in the series with 9 strikeouts. Nick Swisher was 2 for 15, and even Robinson Cano was just 2 for 18. But they can all bat left-handed against the righty Hamel, and Girardi said he liked Swisher's at-bats, despite the results. Theoretically, Girardi could have sat Granderson and had Ichiro Suzuki play center and move Raul Ibanez into left, but then he would have had to find a designated hitter, and he doesn't feel Brett Gardner is ready to start. Girardi said Rodriguez has no health issue, as far as he knows, and that he is merely going through a slump from which he will recover. "The one thing a player has the chance to do is change history or what people think about him," Girardi said. That's the one thing a player can always do. God willing, we move on and he has a great rest of the playoffs and then I think people will forget about this. Derek Jeter was asked after Game 4 if he was worried about Rodriguez. "No," Jeter said. We've got to win a game. So, we all need to do well.