Rodriguez told to keep cousin from ballparks: source

Alex Rodriguez has been told by the New York Yankees to keep his cousin away from ballparks.

The message was given to the third baseman on Thursday, said a source familiar with the situation but speaking on condition of anonymity because the team did not make an announcement.

The message applied both to spring training and the regular season, the source said.

Speaking at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Fla., Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said only that the matter of Rodriguez being picked up from Wednesday's spring-training opener by his cousin "has been handled."

Rodriguez homered and walked twice in Wednesday's 6-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays at Dunedin, Fla., then got into a SUV driven by Yuri Sucart.

Sucart has been identified as the cousin who provided Rodriguez with performance-enhancing drugs obtained in the Dominican Republic.

Rodriguez admitted using them while playing for the Texas Rangers from 2001-3.

Rodriguez acknowledged to the Yankees that having his cousin meet him at the ballpark was a mistake, the source told the Associated Press.

Rodriguez received mostly cheers with a few boos mixed in at Thursday's Grapefruit League game.

He went 0-for-2 and left after five innings with the Yankees leading the Tampa Bay Rays 2-0.