NEW YORK (Reuters) - Slugger Alex Rodriguez will have surgery on his torn right hip labrum on Monday to enable him to play this season with further surgery planned next off-season, the New York Yankees said on Sunday.
Rodriguez, 33, is expected to be able to return to action in six to nine weeks, general manager Brian Cashman told reporters in a conference call.
The third baseman, baseball's highest paid player in the second year of a 10-year, $275 million deal, will be operated on by hip specialist Dr Marc Philippon in Vail, Colorado.
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"The goal here is to allow Alex to rehab rapidly in a safe manner," Dr. Philippon told reporters, according to Major League Baseball website mlb.com.
"The approach we're using is much safer than letting Alex play the way he is now."
Other options considered by Rodriguez and the Yankees included having the three-times American League MVP try to play the season, relying on rest and rehabilitation only, and having more extensive surgery that would sideline him four months.
The hip problem was the second major issue for Rodriguez as he prepared for the 2009 season. The week before he arrived at spring training, he admitted to using performance enhancing drugs during his 2001-2003 season with the Texas Rangers.
Rodriguez, who had complained of some tightness in his hip dating back to last season, was found to have a cyst in an MRI scan taken by the team last weekend and sent to the Colorado specialist for further examination.
"In a situation like Alex's, when we're trying to return him rapidly to his high-level function, it's certainly a very good option," Philippon said about the limited surgery.
"It's a little more demanding on the patient, but Alex is very athletic and has overall very good muscular strength. I firmly believe that this approach will be successful."
Cashman said Rodriguez would remain in Colorado to work out under the supervision of Dr Philippon and could resume swinging a bat as soon as one week after the procedure is done.
While Rodriguez is sidelined, the Yankees plan to fill in with utility infielder Cody Ransom, who has had 183 at-bats over six major league seasons.
