A date has been set for Alex Rodriguez’s hip surgery, which will be the first step in a long road to recovery for the All-Star third-baseman.
Today, according to Sweeny Murti of WFAN via Twitter, the Yankees announced that A-Rod will go under the knife on January 16, nearly three months after New York’s season ended in a four-game sweep at the hands of the Detroit Tigers in the ALCS. The reason for the lengthy delay is because the team and A-Rod’s doctors want him to strengthen the area surrounding the hip, which will hopefully speed up his rehab. Mariano Rivera was instructed to do the same thing after he tore his ACL last May.
Dr. Bryan Kelly, who will be performing the surgery, said he expects A-Rod to return to the Yankees just after the All-Star break, although it “could always take longer.” News also came out today from Dr. Kelly which explained the extent of the injury. According to multiple tests performed on the hip, Dr. Kelly explained how he was “surprised” A-Rod could even play through the injury.
As the surgery date approaches, the organization hopes that this injury was the reason that sapped the slugger’s power and quickness at the plate in the stretch run of the season through October. With rehabilitation and hard work, Dr. Kelly expects A-Rod to revert back to a semblance of his production in year’s past. For the Yankees and their fans, that’s good news.
