Alex Rodriguez On Target for July Return to New York Yankees Lineup After Successful Hip Surgery

New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez went under a successful surgery on his left hip Wednesday, the team reports. Between the clean procedure and a special pre-surgery physical therapy regimen designed to reduce inflammation and recovery time, Rodriguez has kept himself on track for a six-month recovery.

Rodriguez was operated on by Dr. Bryan Kelly at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. It was the second hip operation for the Yankees third baseman. He had his right hip replaced before the 2009 season by Dr. Marc Philippon in Vail, Colo.

The surgery took Dr. Kelly two hours to complete, as he repaired a torn labrum and an impingement on the hip.

The initial injury was not noticed until November, though Rodriguez struggled in the playoffs for the Bronx Bombers, recording three hits in 25 at-bats while striking out 9 times. The former American League MVP was pinch-hit for three times, the first of which led to a historic night for Raul Ibanez (who tied and the won the game for New York with a pair of home runs in Game 3 of the AL Division Series).

Dr. Kelly surmises that Rodriguez was unable to properly rotate his hips because of his injuries, which would explain the lack of power in A-Rod's swing that he reported to his coaches.

The only remaining unknown for Rodriguez's surgery is how much the cartilage was damaged in his hip. The team has not mentioned it since the end of the operation, per an ESPN report. Repairing as much of the cartilage damage as possible was part of the arthroscopic procedure on Wednesday.

If all goes as planned, Rodriguez will be released from the hospital on Thursday. He will begin a supervised rehabilitation program under Dr. Kelly. The surgeon hopes A-Rod can return to the Yankees lineup after the All-Star break.

In the Yankees' press release, Dr. Kelly explained his belief that Rodriguez's injuries have not been caused by performance-enhancing drug use.

Rodriguez turns 38 on July 27, which could be close to his return date. He has $114 million and five years remaining on the $275 million contract he signed with the Yankees in 2007 after opting out of his original 10-year, $252 million deal.