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(Sports Network) - The New York Yankees are expected to be without star third baseman Alex Rodriguez this evening, when they start a three-game series with the Detroit Tigers at Yankee Stadium.

Rodriguez aggravated a quadriceps injury on Monday while running the bases and stated after the game that there was "no way" he would be able to play in tonight's opener. The three-time AL MVP also missed a three-game series last week in Chicago with the same injury.

The Yankees, meanwhile, return to the Bronx after playing 18 of their last 20 games away from home. In fact, their 18 games played on the road this month are the most ever by a team in April.

New York finished its 10-game trek strong on Monday, as Hideki Matsui had a pair of RBI and the Yankees manufactured four runs in the sixth inning to beat Cleveland, 5-2.

Rodriguez, Jason Giambi and Morgan Ensberg also drove in runs and Mike Mussina (3-3) got the win by allowing seven hits and two runs in five innings. It was Mussina's 253rd career victory, tying Bert Blyleven for 12th-most in American League history.

Mariano Rivera threw a scoreless ninth inning for his eighth save as the Yankees wrapped up their jaunt at 5-5.

Heading to the hill for the Yankees tonight will be young right-hander Phil Hughes, who was in the midst of his best start of the season before a rain delay cut short his outing. Hughes, who is 0-3 with a 7.85 ERA, had given up just one hit in two innings against Chicago on Thursday before the game was delayed for nearly an hour.

The 21-year-old hurler lost his only career start to the Tigers last season, giving up five runs and four hits - three of which were home runs - in six innings.

While Hughes will be facing Detroit for just the second time in his young career, the Tigers will hand the ball to 43-year-old Kenny Rogers, who will be making his 36th appearance and 15th start against the Yankees. Rogers, who spent two of his 19 seasons pitching in the Bronx, is 5-7 with four saves and a 6.45 ERA lifetime against New York.

Like the Tigers, Rogers is off to a shaky start, having gone just 1-3 with a 7.66 ERA in his first five outings. He was bailed out by a tremendous offensive effort by his team Wednesday in Texas, as the lefty surrendered six runs and nine hits with three walks in 3 1/3 frames. Rogers did not factor in the decision as his team pulled out a 19-6 win.

Detroit enters this series after dropping two of three games over the weekend to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, including a 6-2 loss in Sunday's rubber match at Comerica Park. Magglio Ordonez reached base all four times for the Tigers, recording two hits and two walks along with a run scored. Ivan Rodriguez also chipped in an RBI double in the defeat.

The loss went to Justin Verlander (1-4), who yielded six runs on seven hits, walked four and struck out three in 5 2/3 innings for Detroit, which fell for just the second time in its last seven games.

These teams split their eight matchups last season, but the Yankees are 14-7 in the series since the start of the 2005 campaign, including wins in eight of the 10 regular-season meetings in the Bronx over that time.