Alex Rodriguez, Jorge Posada, Chipper Jones and Manny Ramirez

Alex Rodriguez isn't starting tonight. He might come into pinch-hit against the Phillies, but the safer bet is that he'll start tomorrow night. Perhaps as the DH, to ease his way back in.

We watched A-Rod take groundballs and throw, and out of our sight, he swung off a tee and took live batting practice in the hitting cages. He appears to be moving all right. So, we'll see.

A-Rod assured a group of reporters that this injury had nothing to do with his hip surgery last year, and that the doctor who performed that procedure, Marc Philippon, "said the pictures (the MRI) came out as good as ever." Really, the only lingering mystery is what exactly the injury is.

The Yankees have called the injury "tendinitis in the hip flexor," and from looking it up, it appears the hip flexor consists of a group of muscles that includes the groin. But by using some rather colorful terminology - cough, cough - A-Rod made it clear that the pain rested in the area we traditionally think of as the "groin."

In any case, with A-Rod not DHing tonight, as Joe Girardi first envisioned, Jorge Posada moved to DH, and Franscisco Cervelli is starting at catcher. Both Girardi and Posada say that Posada could have started behind the plate.

--Chipper Jones acknowledged that he's seriously considering retirement, so much so that he met with the Braves today to apparently discuss ideas over what to do with the $26 million the club owes him over the next two seasons.

While Jones was an excellent player as recently as 2008, it's not surprising that he's having such thoughts. What is surprising, still, is that the Braves committed so much to a guy who has been so injury-prone, and who will turn 40 in 2012.

--With Manny Ramirez returning to Boston with the Dodgers this weekend, WEEI has an excellent story on David Ortiz, and the myths and realities concerning his relationship with Manny. And if you scroll down on Terry Francona's radio interview, you can read the Red Sox skipper's very entertaining thoughts on the big reunion.

My prediction: Manny gets a huge ovation. He did so much for that team and that city, even if he didn't get from Point A to Point B in the most conventional manner.

--Have a great night.