Brian Cashman on A-Rod remarks: 'I popped'

To the surprise of virtually no one, Brian Cashman confirmed what his caustic remarks about Alex Rodriguez were all about: Control.

Cashman stopped short of apologizing for imploring his rehabbing third baseman to "shut the (heck) up" after A-Rod tweeted news about

his recovery from hip surgery.

But regrets? Yeah, Cashman had a couple.

"I regret the choice of words I used yesterday," Cashman said to reporters Wednesday at Yankee Stadium.

"I didn't handle this one. I popped. Reality TV at its best....We want to control the message and when. We want Alex back. That's not an issue."

Rodriguez is expected to return sometime around the All-Star break; presumably there'll be no updates on when he may play in a rehab game until he actually takes the field in Tampa or Trenton or Scranton.