Flustered Joe Girardi has an issue with Alex Rodriguez and Carlos Beltran

9:23 PM ET

NEW YORK — Joe Girardi was flailing as badly as his batters were all day. When Girardi becomes flustered on the news conference podium, it usually belies a bigger concern.

So a question that could have been swatted away with a little finesse riled up the Yankees manager after the New York Yankees lost 3-1 to the Toronto Blue Jays. He lost his poise and perhaps revealed his actual thoughts.

What set Girardi off was being asked once again about the impact of Alex Rodriguez’s return from the disabled list and to the DH, which forced Carlos Beltran’s move to right field.

Alex Rodriguez went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in his return from the disabled list. Adam Hunger/USA TODAY Sports

A question about the impact of the moves bothered Girardi so much because he knows it is fraught with issues, even if he won’t fully publicly admit it.

When the Yankees begin games that way, they may have a designated hitter who can’t hit that much anymore and a right fielder who can’t field much anymore.

It’s not what you want, to borrow the manager’s pet phrase.

Rodriguez and Beltran are two all-time players, but they are older, and Girardi is trying to manage whether and/or how he’ll limit Rodriguez’s time.

After Thursday’s loss, the Yankees are 8-17 with Rodriguez and 14-7 without him. Those numbers aren’t entirely about Rodriguez at DH and Beltran in right.

Perhaps it is just coincidental. Shout out, small sample size and all! Still, Girardi has good reason to worry about his regular formation.

Upon his return, …

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