Ramirez will be a temp 'Tope

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - It's official: Manny Ramirez will have a minor-league rehabilitation stint with the Albuquerque Isotopes, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Joe Torre confirmed on Saturday.

"The only thing I can report to you is that he's agreed to go down there," Torre said. "I think it's just a matter of competition. It's the idea of going out there and playing a game."

Ramirez is coming off a 50-game suspension for violating Major League Baseball's drug rules.

Albuquerque Isotopes General Manager John Traub also confirmed Ramirez's assignment on Saturday.

"This is really uncharted water for a lot of people it's territory that nobody's really been in before," he said. "We've done big events, but with the anticipation that's been built up and the public is so excited obviously, but I can't really think offhand of something that's been as large as this."

Ramirez will start his assignment Tuesday. He'll likely play four games with the Isotopes, likely as a designated hitter.

The Isotopes box office will open at 8 a.m. each day through Tuesday to deal with the increased demand for tickets. Fans started lining up early Friday after speculation of Ramirez' assignment.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Also on KRQE.com: Sports Blog: Manny's a mixed bag