A-Rod Opts for Rehab Instead of Surgery

Alex Rodriguez will not have surgery on his injured right hip as reported earlier Thursday morning, at least not right away, according to Yankees general manager Brian Cashman. The embattled New York third baseman had a cyst in his right hip, but he also has a torn labrum in the area, a much more serious injury that will eventually require him to go under the knife.

According to Peter Abraham of the LoHud Yankees Blog, Rodriguez has already had the cyst drained in hopes that it will help him regain some of his mobility. From there, the Yankees will pursue a course of rest and rehabilitation and be left to pray that the injury is not so physically limiting that he won't be able to stay on the field and be effective.

The extent of the tear and Rodriguez's tolerance for pain will go a long way toward determining how much he plays and what he can do when he is in 2009. We have two recent similar cases that can serve as a guide.

Phillies second baseman Chase Utley and Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell both battled torn labrums in 2008. Utley, who is well known for his toughness, was able to play through the injury and remain a force in the middle of Phillies' lineup on their way to a World Series championship. He had surgery this winter, and could return by Opening Day. Lowell missed a huge chunk of time in August and early September and he tried to tough it out for Boston's playoff run, but he was in so much pain and was so ineffective that the Sox left him off the ALCS roster. He too had surgery this winter and is questionable for Opening Day.

You can say many things about Rodriguez, but you can't knock his work ethic or his effort. He has tons of incentive to get back on the field as soon as possible, especially after such a tumultuous offseason, and if anyone can get through an injury like this and be effective, it is him.

But if the tear is bad enough, of if he aggravates it further when he returns, he could wind up on the operating table anyway. If Rodriguez is out until mid-May, as has been speculated, the Yankees will be in an enormous hole in the hyper-competitive American League East, but one they might be able to climb out of if he is hitting. If he winds up needing surgery during the season, you can pretty much forget about New York returning to the postseason in 2009.