New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez will bat sixth in the lineup Saturday night in Game 1 of American League Championship series.

Yankee manager Joe Girardi benched Rodriguez for the Yankees 3-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Friday in favor of third baseman Eric Chavez and DH Raul Ibanez.

The 14-time All-star was 2-for-16 with nine strikeouts in the AL Division series against Baltimore. While he did hit .325 for the month of September, Rodriguez has failed to hit a home run since Sept. 14.

The 37-year-old especially struggled against right-handed pitchers, going 0-for-12 against Baltimore.

Rodriguez is the highest paid player in the major leagues this season with a $29 million salary. New York still owes him $114 million over the next five seasons.

Major league baseball