A-Rod Hip Surgery 'Successful'

by Rachel Nixon | March 9, 2009 at 11:01 am

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Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees has had surgery on his right hip.

The surgery was to repair a torn labrum - cartilage that lines the hip joint - which can often be damaged through injury or repetitive wear and tear.

Dr. Marc Philippon said in a conference call that Rodriguez would use a stationary bicycle and isometric exercises to begin a process that is expected to take six to nine weeks.

If all goes well, Rodriguez is expected to return to the Yankees in May, when the team will have played about one-quarter of its 162-game American League season.

Another surgery to correct underlying problems in the joint is expected to be performed in November and Dr. Philippon said the recovery from that operation will be shorter than this one.

A-Rod had had no problems with his hip until spring training this year - and the injury forced him to miss the World Baseball Classic.

Philippon attributed the labrum tear to the rotational stress that Rodriguez — "a very strong hitter, strong batter" — places on his hip.

"Because of all the test findings, analysis, the function of Alex, I feel it's in his best interest to have his labrum repaired, remove part of his impingement and therefore stabilize his labrum," he said. "The goal here is to allow Alex to rehab rapidly in a safe manner."

In February, Rodriguez held his first press conference since admitting he took steroids while playing for the Texas Rangers.

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