Rodriguez said he felt fine and was eager to get on the field for Class A Charleston.

"Awesome," he said Monday at the Yankees' spring training complex. "I'm really excited."

Rodriguez said he didn't have a timetable for rejoining the Yankees, a team in desperate need of hitters. He was on a conference call with team officials earlier in the day.

"I have no idea," he said.

Last week, Rodriguez posted on Twitter that his hip surgeon had cleared him to play in rehab games. That upset Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, who said Rodriguez hadn't been OKed by team doctors.

Cashman lashed out at Rodriguez with a profanity, then said the next day that he regretted his word choice. Rodriguez later spoke with owner Hal Steinbrenner, with the executive reiterating that injury news should be announced by the team, not players.

Now, no problems.

"It's all been very positive. We're all looking in the same direction: ... Get back to New York as soon as possible, and tomorrow is the first big step," Rodriguez said. "We've talked to all our doctors. Everyone has approved it."

The Yankees rank near the bottom of the American League in runs and home runs. Minus Rodriguez, the Yankees have especially struggled at third base. Rookie David Adams is hitting under .200 and Kevin Youkilis, signed in the offseason to hold the job until A-Rod returned, was batting only .218 before he went on the disabled list with back problems.

Rodriguez and Youkilis are among several injured players on the Yankees, who began the day in fourth place in the AL East. Derek Jeter, Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira are also sidelined, as are others.

Manager Joe Girardi called the rehab assignment "a step in the right direction."

"I expect him to be a productive player," Girardi said before the Yankees opened a series at Minnesota. "The last time he got his hip fixed, he came productive. Hopefully this will solve some of the things he was dealing with last year and I expect him to be productive.

"I can't tell you exactly what he's going to do, but I think he's going to be a good player," he said.

The Yankees said Rodriguez was scheduled to start for Single-A Charleston in the South Atlantic League. Rodriguez was supposed to play at least three innings against Rome during the game in South Carolina.

"It will be the first game that I play in, in maybe over eight months. It's been a long time. It's going to be great to suit up again. It gets me one step closer to helping my team win in New York," he said.

Rodriguez has been working out in Florida this year while recovering from surgery on his left hip on Jan. 16. The three-time AL MVP turns 38 later this month.

Many rehabbing Yankees play for the minor league team in Tampa, but lately the weather has been rainy. The inclement forecast prompted the Yankees to have Rodriguez start with Charleston.

"Two things we're working with the scheduling, where all these teams are at. There's rain all over the East Coast. So, we're just going to try and run away, try to find some good sunshine."

"It has to do more with the weather. In an ideal world, we would always play at home because we can do more work, but if the weather is bad, we may have to jump over at X, Y or Z, depending where the sunshine is," he said.

Rodriguez walked out of the camp carrying an equipment bag while a clubhouse assistant brought a box of bats. They put them in Rodriguez's car, and he signed several autographs before driving off.

Rodriguez has 647 career home runs. The Yankees have struggled this season while Rodriguez and several other stars have been on the disabled list.

Rodriguez has 20 days on this assignment to get ready to play. Once he is ready, Girardi said he still envisions Rodriguez as an everyday third baseman with no plans to make him a primary designated hitter.

"We've had trouble scoring runs," Girardi said. "That's no secret. So it'd be nice to get some big bats back."

NOTES: SS Derek Jeter (ankle) ran the bases for the first time during his recent recovery. ... OF Curtis Granderson (broken finger) put on a glove and caught easy flyballs.

___

AP Sports Writer Jon Krawczynski in Minneapolis contributed to this report.

The announcement reverses the company's position when it unveiled the console in May, causing consternation among hardcore gamers.

The company had reversed its earlier stance on used games and daily online authentication after listening to "candid feedback" from its fans, Don Mattrick, president of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft, said in a blog post on Wednesday.

Last week at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles, Microsoft announced a $499 price tag for its first new Xbox in eight years and said it would go on sale in the United States in November in 21 countries.

Its rival, Sony Corp, said it would sell the next-generation PlayStation model for $399 late in the year. At an E3 presentation to announce features of the PlayStation 4, Sony drew cheers from the audience when it said the PS4 would run second-hand games and did not require an always-on Internet connection.

Before changing its policy, Microsoft had elicited groans from gamers when it announced that used games could be played on the Xbox One for a fee to be determined by game publishers and said players had to log onto the Internet for authentication.

"You told us how much you loved the flexibility you have today with games delivered on disc. The ability to lend, share, and resell these games at your discretion is of incredible importance to you," Mattrick said in his blog post. "Also important to you is the freedom to play offline, for any length of time, anywhere in the world."

(Reporting by Bill Rigby and Malathi Nayak; Editing by Bernard Orr)

Italian defender Leonardo Bonucci was the only player to miss when he skied the 13th penalty of the contest high over the bar before Jesus Navas converted to send Spain through.

The victory extended Spain's record unbeaten run in competitive matches to 29 and set up the final which almost all neutrals wanted against hosts Brazil in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday.

"It was a very, very tough match today," Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas told Telecinco. "Italy set themselves up extremely well. Perhaps we had the clearer chances without really testing (Gianluigi) Buffon."

"We are through to another final which is very important for this generation of players and for Spain. We are very tired, very tired."

Italy coach Cesare Prandini, whose side were routed 4-0 by Spain in last year's Euro 2012 final, was pleased with their efforts.

"We played a great game, really, really good," he told Italian media. "We were always in the game. Spain are ahead of us because they've been working on their project for years.

"From the point of view of spirit, tactics and character, we are improving."

Italy wore black armbands in tribute to former AC Milan and Fiorentina forward Stefano Borgonovo who died earlier on Thursday after a seven-year battle against Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a form of motor neuron disease.

Both teams went close in an excellent first half with Daniele De Rossi, Claudio Marchisio and Christian Maggio all wasting good chances for Italy.

Italy's 3-5-2 system worked well but, as usual, Spain still dominated possession and Pedro and Fernando Torres had chances which they failed to take.

World and European champions Spain made three changes from the team that beat Nigeria 3-0 on Sunday with skipper Casillas returning in goal and David Villa and Torres, who both came on as substitutes against the African champions, retaining their places.

Italy made six changes to the side that lost 4-2 to Brazil on Saturday with De Rossi returning after suspension and Andrea Pirlo back to orchestrate the midfield after recovering from a minor calf injury.

Up front Alberto Gilardino replaced in-form Mario Balotelli who has returned home for treatment to a thigh injury, but despite the changes and a different playing system with five in midfield, Italy often looked sharper and better organized.

The nature of the game changed after the break as both sides slowed to near walking pace in the heat with occasional flashes of inspiration such as an Andres Iniesta jinking run that ended with a disappointingly weak shot.

With Maggio and Emanuele Giaccherini dangerous down the flanks for Italy, and with Spain not quite finding the passes as they usually do, the game developed into an absorbing war of attrition, which ultimately ended in a deadlock and penalties.

Both sides hit the woodwork in extra time with Italy's Giaccherini thumping a left-footed shot against the post and Xavi forcing Buffon to touch a swerving shot onto the upright.

(Additional reporting by Iain Rogers in Madrid; Editing by Brian Homewood)

PORTO VECCHIO, France (Reuters) - Disgraced rider Lance Armstrong, who cheated his way to seven Tour de France victories from 1999-2005, has said it would have been impossible to win the world's greatest cycling race without doping.

Asked if riders won races drugs-free in the era when he competed, a bullish Armstrong told French daily Le Monde on Friday: "It depends on the races. The Tour de France? No. Impossible to win without doping.

"My name was taken out of the palmares (list of achievements) but the Tour was held between 1999 and 2005 wasn't it? There must be a winner then. Who is he? Nobody came forward to claim my jerseys."

France's five-times Tour champion Bernard Hinault was quick to react, telling local TV channel BFM: "He must not know what it was like to ride without doping."

Armstrong later made it clear in a tweet he was speaking about the 1999-2005 period and added: "Today ? I have no idea. I'm hopeful it's possible."

Speaking to Reuters, Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme said: "It is time that those who tarnished the image of the Tour leave it alone."

Last year, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) published a report into Armstrong's doping program, calling it "the most sophisticated in the history of sport", leading to the American being banned for life and losing his Tour titles.

"I did not invent doping. Sorry, Travis," the 41-year-old Texan said, referring to USADA CEO Travis Tygart. "And it (doping) has not stopped with me. I just took part in the system.

"The USADA 'reasoned decision' perfectly managed to destroy a man's life but it has not benefited cycling at all."

Armstrong also hit out at the International Cycling Union (UCI), who have been heavily criticized for not doing enough to catch the American.

"(UCI president) Pat McQuaid can say and think what he wants. Things just cannot change as long as McQuaid stays in power," he said.

"The UCI refuses to establish a 'Truth and Reconciliation commission' because the testimony that everyone would want to hear would bring McQuaid, (his predecessor) Hein Verbruggen and the whole institution down," Armstrong added without elaborating.

The 2013 Tour de France starts on Saturday.

(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by John O'Brien and Alison Wildey)

[More from BGR: ]

He added that with the Home experience, they did a nice job expressing the Facebook experience, but so much of the Google design experience with Ice Cream Sandwich [Android 4.0] was in there as well.

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The executive wasnt bothered by the fact that Facebook Home replaced traditional Android homescreens. Like Schmidt, Durate cited openness as a core philosophy of the Android operating system. He went on to say that he was generally excited about a trend where people have more designers involved in their customizations of Android, adding that the work we do with the Google apps fits more seamless with it.

Facebook Home is currently available for the HTC One, One X, One X+, Galaxy Note II, Galaxy S III, Galaxy S4 and comes preloaded on the HTC First.

This article was

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Jonathan Greenberger is returning to ABC's "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" as its executive broadcast producer, the network announced Tuesday.

Greenberger last served as the show's senior producer as well as "virtually every other position on the program," ABC News president Ben Sherwood said in a note to the news division.

The position has been a bit of a revolving door in the last few years. Rick Kaplan got the job in May 2011 when the program was moderated by Christine Amanpour. Jon Banner was appointed EP in September 2011. He left the network and was replaced by Sandy Cannold in September 2012, and Cannold was then moved to executive producer and senior business editor of ABC News last April.

Greenberger began his ABC News career as an intern in its political unit.