Yankees slugger Rodriguez to have hip examined
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Third baseman Alex Rodriguez will leave the World Baseball Classic's Dominican Republic team in Florida and fly to Colorado and have his hip examined on Wednesday, the New York Yankees said on Tuesday.
Rodriguez, Major League Baseball's highest paid player, has been experiencing right hip tightness and stiffness in pre-season training and a MRI scan in Florida on Saturday revealed a cyst on his hip, the club said.
The 33-year-old Rodriguez, who has been embroiled in a doping storm since admitting last month to taking performance enhancing drugs while with the Texas Rangers from 2001-2003, will be examined by Dr Marc Phillipon, a hip specialist at the Steadman-Hawkins Clinic, the Yankees said.
He had been cleared to continue playing until then.
"We felt it was in everyone's best interest, for the team and the player, to send Alex to Dr Phillipon, who is regarded as the leading expert in his field," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said in a statement.
"Alex has proven his durability throughout his career, and we will take every precaution and step necessary to ensure his health as we near the start of the 2009 regular season and beyond."
Rodriguez doubled and scored in the Dominican team's 10-1 victory over the Florida Marlins in a warm-up game on Tuesday.
The Dominican Republic are scheduled to play their first game in the Classic against the Netherlands in San Juan, Puerto Rico on Saturday. Champions Japan play China in the opening game on Thursday in Tokyo.
(Writing by Larry Fine; Editing by Greg Stutchbury)
