NEW YORK – Alex Rodriguez is going to join Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Friday, likely the final stop in his rehabilitation from left hip surgery before he returns to the New York Yankees as early as Monday.

Rodriguez is 5 for 28 with six strikeouts in his rehab that began July 2 with Class A Charleston. He hit his first homer Monday for Double-A Trenton.

A-Rod’s 20-day rehab limit ends Sunday and he told a New York radio station Wednesday he expects to be in the Yankees’ lineup Monday at Texas.

Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman told ESPN New York that Rodriguez could be activated Monday or Tuesday after a day off. If the team decides Rodriguez is not ready for major league games he has to go back on the disabled list.

Rodriguez hasn’t played for the Yankees since a dreadful postseason. He had surgery in January.

THE ALL-STAR game’s television rating was up slightly from last year’s record low.

The American League’s 3-0 victory Tuesday night on Fox earned a 6.9 rating and 12 share, up from a 6.8/12 in 2012.

Played at the Mets’ Citi Field, the game’s viewership got a boost from its trip to the big market of New York. The 11.3 rating there was up 16 percent from a year ago, when Kansas City hosted.

A JERSEY WORN by Ted Williams in 1946 sold for $184,000 and a Babe Ruth model bat from 1925-27 went for more than $166,000 in live bidding this week by Hunt Auctions.

Items from Warren Spahn’s personal memorabilia collection amassed more than $900,000. Spahn’s 1957 Cy Young Award sold for $126,000, and his personal Hall of Fame ring went for $55,200.

Other expensive items were Chris Chambliss’ 1976 ALCS winning home run ball, which sold for $82,655, a Brooklyn jersey worn by Roy Campanella that went for $55,200, a New York Mets uniform worn by Manager Casey Stengel for $46,000 and a baseball from Jackie Robinson’s first major league game for $34,500.

TEAMS SPENT $219.9 million on signing bonuses for selections in baseball’s amateur draft this year, up 6 percent from $207.8 million at a similar point last year.

The rise followed a 10 percent drop from a record $233.6 million in 2011, the last year before restrictions imposed by baseball’s collective bargaining agreement with players.