Variety: Alex Rodriguez Will Act in Movie

(CANVAS STAFF REPORTS) - Don't look for New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez to be lounging by the pool on his limited days off this season.

Variety reports that Major League Baseball's highest-paid player will make his big screen debut in "Friends With Benefits," which stars Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis.

The film focuses on two friends as they come out of disastrous relationships, reports Variety. The film, directed by Will Gluck, also stars Woody Harrelson, Patricia Clarkson, Emma Stone and Andy Samberg.

Set in New York, filming is scheduled to begin this month and will accommodate Rodriguez' schedule and shoot his scenes on off days.

Whether it's his baseball accomplishments, links to various starlets or admitting to using performance-enhancing drugs, A-Rod has a consistent presence in the media. Now he will have the entertainment media tracking him and his work.

A-Rod, who turns 35 on July 27, joins a roster of athletes who played various-sized roles on the big screen . They include O.J. Simpson, Merlin Olsen (NFL), Ray Allen and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (NBA).

Regardless of how well A-Rod does on the silver screen, as a baseball player he is considered one of the greatest.

The Seattle Mariners selected Rodriguez as the first overall pick in the 1993 Major League Baseball draft. He was only 18 when he debuted as a shortstop with the Mariners.

In 1998, he became the third player in league history to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in the same season. As a free agent before the 2001 season, Rodriguez signed a 10-year, $252 million contract with the Texas Rangers – the richest contract ever given to an athlete at the time, reports Biography.com .

He signed with the Yankees after the 2004 season. In 2007, Rodriguez became the youngest player in Major League history to hit 500 career home runs.

Last year, in the playoffs A-Rod broke out of his post-season slump to bat .365 with six home runs and 18 RBIs. The Yankees went on to win the 2009 World Series.