TAMPA, Fla., March 9 (UPI) -- The surgery on New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez's right hip Monday was a success, his doctor said.
Rodriguez had arthroscopic surgery at Vail Valley Surgery Center in Colorado to repair a torn labrum. Dr. Marc Philippon also used the 80-minute operation to address cartilage from a paralabral cyst that had dated back to last season, the team said.
"The surgery went exactly as we planned," Philippon said. "There were no surprises. Exactly what we prepared for was there. The labrum was repaired and the cartilage was stabilized."
He is expected to undergo a more complete repair in November.
Philippon said in a conference call that Rodriguez would start his rehabilitation by riding a stationary bicycle and doing isometric exercises, The New York Times reported. Rodriguez is expected to stay in Colorado for up to a month before returning to Tampa, Fla., for further conditioning drills.
His recovery is expected to take six to nine weeks, returning to action sometime in May.
Yankees Manager Joe Girardi has suggested several players could fill in for Rodriguez in the interim, including Cody Ransom and Angel Berroa.
Rodriguez, a 15-year major league veteran, is a .306 hitter with 553 home runs and 1,606 runs batted in.
