TAMPA, Fla. — Alex Rodriguez will skip the New York Yankees’ exhibition opener against Philadelphia in Clearwater and is slated to make his spring training debut at Steinbrenner Field on Wednesday.

A-Rod is back from a season-long suspension for violations of baseball’s drug agreement and labor contract,

Yankees manager Joe Girardi intends to give Rodriguez two or three at-bats as a designated hitter in New York’s first home exhibition game this year.

“I know it’s a tall order,” Girardi said Monday. “He’s 391⁄2 years old, two hip surgeries. But I don’t ever count anybody out. We have to see where he is in about four weeks and how he’s doing. That’s the important thing.”

Rodriguez went 0 for 2 as a DH in an intrasquad game Monday. Hitting off a pitching machine, he grounded to third on the second pitch and flied out to short right on the first pitch. The three-time AL MVP has not played a full season since 2007 because of the suspension, operations on both hips and other injuries. He did not speak with reporters after the intrasquad game and is not on the travel roster for Tuesday’s game across Tampa Bay.

“I think his work, his approach is the same as it used to be,” Girardi said. “He wants to get his work in. That’s what I’ve seen him doing.”

Monday’s game was played before about 100 fans in mostly empty Steinbrenner Field.