FanHouse CodyRansom

As the New York Yankees struggle with the almighty Cody Ransom-Ramiro Pena-Angel Berroa trio at third base, Alex Rodriguez has been busting his butt to get back on the field. According to Jon Heyman of SI.com, he's going to get on the major league field earlier than his original May 15 target date.

The "target date" is still May 15, but -- according to Heyman's sources -- both A-Rod and the team are very hopeful he'll be back on the field "sometime in the first week of May." This coming Friday is May 1.

MLB Power Rankings: Where we care what you've done for us lately when we break down the who's who and the what's what in the baseball world each week.

We're almost there. You can smell it in the air, can't you? That's right ... the NHL playoffs! Ha. I kid, of course. No one actually watches hockey (if it even exists). But people do get amped up for baseball, and the season is upon us. So, in that vein, we've got our final installment of preseason power rankings ready for your digestion. Play ball.

The Daily Jolt is a dose of baseball reality every weekday morning.

For a second there in the winter of 2007, it looked like the Yankees were truly reformed. They told Alex Rodriguez to get lost after he shamefully opted out of his mega-contract during the final moments of that year's World Series.

And though Hank Steinbrenner couldn't resist reversing course and welcoming Rodriguez back into the fold a month later for a jaw-dropping $275 million, they went to the Winter Meetings in Nashville and resolutely refused to deal any of their prized arms for very much available two-time Cy Young-winner Johan Santana.