Despite Hot Streak, Yankees' A-Rod To Have Hip Examined
NEW YORK (WFAN/AP) -- Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez will have his right hip examined this week, although he insists he's not feeling pain and has no desire to miss any playing time.
Rodriguez was in the starting lineup for Wednesday night's 15-inning marathon win against the Baltimore Orioles.
New York's cleanup hitter said before the game that batting coach Kevin Long suggested he have the hip checked.
"It's something that came from Kevin. He has been working on me a long time," Rodriguez said. "We just wanted to make sure we dotted our I's and crossed our T's and make sure we're diligent about it. ... There's no pain. Zero pain."
"We had looked at his swing for a couple weeks. He hasn't been consistent with his lower half and I just started thinking and went through the process and said maybe there is something there that's not allowing it to work," said Long. "I guess we just needed to open up that door ... (Tuesday) night his swing was as good as I've seen it all year."
Though Rodriguez hit two home runs in Tuesday's 6-2 win against Tampa Bay, he had only five hits in his last 27 at-bats through Tuesday.
"I think we just want to make sure he's OK," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "He says he doesn't necessarily feel anything, so from our standpoint we're not worried about it."
Rodriguez had arthroscopic surgery on his right hip before the 2009 season and played in 137 games last season. He was bothered by a sore oblique muscle in late April but has only missed four games this year. He recently ended a 65 at-bat stretch without a homer, the second-longest drought of his career.
This winter, Rodriguez was given full clearance by Dr. Marc Philippon, the surgeon who performed the hip surgery, and A-Rod came into camp 10 pounds lighter. He was hitting .370 on April 23 with five homers.
Girardi said the organization hopes to get the hip checked during the next homestand, or as soon as possible after that.
"He's had checkups before," said Girardi. "We thought he's moved a lot better this year. We just want to get it checked."
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