Alex Rodriguez’s suspension officially ends

It’s official, Alex Rodriguez‘s season-long suspension has come to an end with the conclusion of the World Series late Wednesday night. Rodriguez is off of the restricted list and back on the New York Yankees’ 40-man roster.

Rodriguez had been suspended for the entire 2014 season for his involvement with the Biogenesis clinic and his apparent use of performance enhancing drugs. Numerous other players were also involved with the Miami-based clinic, but none received a punishment as severe as Rodriguez. The 39 year old has remained largely out of the public’s eye for much of the past year.

He hasn’t spoken with the media in quite some time and has no immediate plans to do so, according to Andrew Marchand of ESPN New York.

The Yankees, to their credit, have said all of the right things over the course of the past season when it comes to Rodriguez. With him on suspension he was an apparent after thought around the clubhouse during the season, not letting things become a distraction. When it comes to next season, both GM Brian Cashman and manager Joe Girardi have repeatedly stated that Rodriguez will be welcomed back into the fold – provided he’s physically able to play. A hip injury limited him to just 44 games during the 2013 season and sparked concerns about whether he’d ever be able to step back onto the field even before he received his suspension from Major League Baseball. It remains to be seen where he’s at physically and whether the team is confident in his ability to handle a return to third base. Rodriguez could end up spending most of his time as the team’s designated hitter, though it’s believed that Girardi has already approached him about learning to play first base.

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With three years and $61 million remaining on his contract – plus various incentive clauses that will pay him an additional $6 million for each home run milestone that he’s able to reach (he’s just 6 shy of tying Willie Mays for 4th all time) – the Yankees are unlikely to simply release him.

Rodriguez is a .299/.384/.558 hitter over the course of his 20 year career – with 654 home runs, 519 doubles, 322 stolen bases, and 1,969 RBI. He’s won three MVP awards, made 14 All Star Games, and collected a number of Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Awards. Despite it all, he’s best known for his association to PEDs and the host of questions that he’ll forever be faced with about what his career may have looked like without them.