A-Rod to Meet with MLB Friday Over Poker Claims

Alex RodrÃguez, de los Yanquis de Nueva York, observa el juego del martes 23 de agosto del 2011 frente a los AtlÃ©ticos de Oakland. RodrÃguez volviÃ³ a salir de la alineaciÃ³n de los Yanquis en la jornada, al torcerse el pulgar de la mano izquierda (AP Foto/Frank Franklin II). (Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Major League Baseball will interview Yankees' star Alex Rodríguez as part of its investigation of his alleged involvement in high stakes illegal poker games on Friday.

Rodríguez told reporters about the meeting on Tuesday night before the Yankees played the Baltimore Orioles.

"I'll be talking to you guys on Friday afternoon," Rodríguez said. "I can't wait."

The Friday meeting comes days after Rodríguez was spotted last Monday in a high-stakes gaming room at the Mohegan Sun casino in the Poconos, according to the New York Post.

The then-injured third baseman was in Pennsylvania to play a rehab game with the minor league Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees.

The three time AL MVP also faced questions about his gambling habits in 2005, when the Daily News reported he attended games at an underground poker club in New York. The slugging third baseman later acknowledged "it wasn't the right thing to do," and checked with MLB before holding a charity poker tournament the following year.

Star Magazine reported last month that several people saw A-Rod playing at one of the star-studded games that were hosted at Hollywood hotels and private residences. Allegedly, A-Rod was seen at one time playing in a separate high-stakes game recently that had a $40,000 buy-in.

Leonardo DiCaprio, Ben Affleck and Tobey Maguire reportedly participated in the games.

His publicist has denied that Rodríguez participated.

Rodríguez's name is not mentioned in any court filings in relation to the games.

The 36-year-old Rodríguez was scratched from the New York Yankees lineup Tuesday night because of a sprained left thumb, an injury he sustained during his first game back from knee surgery on July 14.

He is listed as day to day.

Rodríguez ranks sixth on the career homer list with 626. He needs 137 to break Barry Bonds' record.

Based on reporting by the Associated Press.