Alex Rodriguez is believed to have recovered from the hip injury that has haunted him for over a year. Now, it is a quad injury that has been ailing him. On Sunday, Rodriguez went for an MRI and the New York Yankees announced that he is expected to miss another 7-10 days with a Grade 1 quad strain. Naturally, there is more to the story than that.
According to Joel Sherman of the NY Post, A-Rod is seeking a second opinion on his injury — one from the doctor (Dr. Bryan Kelly) who performed his hip surgery last winter. The interesting part is that Sherman reported that he asked Yankees GM Brian Cashman if A-Rod is seeking a second opinion, and Cashman assured him that he is not. However, a source reportedly insists that Rodriguez is indeed going back to see Kelly, he just doesn’t feel the Yankees need to know about it since Kelly is not employed by the team.
If Sherman’s source is correct, there’s obviously something about the Yankees’ MRI that isn’t good enough for Rodriguez. Is he simply seeking a second opinion from a friend, or are we back to the theory about A-Rod trying to rush back to collect money before he’s suspended and the Yankees trying to slow his return?
In any event, the drama continues. Between A-Rod’s injuries and the supposedly massive suspension that could be looming, his situation gets more complicated by the day. There is also speculation that he could be revisiting his hip surgeon in an attempt to create the case that his hip is unfit for play, which would allow him to retire and collect the rest of the $114 million he is owed. That situation would also work for the Yankees because insurance would pay 80% of the contract, but it seems unlikely at this point.
Lost in what has become a soap opera is the fact that the Yankees are still in contention. A-Rod has hit two homers during his rehab stint in the minors, so he obviously still has some pop. With Derek Jeter, Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira all injured, New York could use Rodriguez’s bat in 2013. Maybe they’ll get it back in a week after A-Rod’s personal doctor confirms what the team has already told him. Or, maybe the never-ending story will continue to haunt Yankees fans.
