A-Rod to have second surgery on hip
Alex Rodriguez played the end of the regular season and the playoffs with a tear in his already surgically repaired right hip, according to the New York Post. The injury will reportedly require Rodriguez to have a second surgery on his hip in the next few days, and will cause him to miss (at the very least) part of the 2013 season.
With Rodriguez out for at least the beginning of the season, the New York Yankees will find themselves in a tough situation as now both members of the left side of the infield are injured and could have decreased mobility if and when they return. Shortstop Derek Jeter is still recovering from a broken ankle that could cause him to also not be able to start the season. It is expected that after the surgery that A-Rod will return to a fully capable player, and will not retire. Nonetheless, there are not guarantees.
According to the Post, it is also expected that the surgery will be performed by Dr. Marc Philippon, who did Rodriguez’s initial surgery in 2009, in Colorado. After that initial surgery, A-Rod had a solid season, driving in 100 runs in only 124 games and ultimatley being part of the Yankees’ only World Series win while Rodriguez has been with the team.
The hip tear could potentially explain why the 37-year-old Rodriguez had such a horrid postseason that ultimately led to him sitting on the bench and caused much ridicule from both media and fans. The third basemen went 3-for-25 with 12 strikeouts during this year’s playoffs.
It is still possible, however, that the aging All Star is going into a natural decline and that because of his age, he might not recover as well as expected from the second surgery. It will be interesting to see how the Yankees battle their depth issues for the start of the season and how Rodriguez recovers over the next few months.
