MLB

A-Rod’s hip to be squared away after operation, doctors say

The Yankees won’t know exactly how severe Alex Rodriguez’s left hip injury is until he goes under the knife, according to a pair of surgeons.

But when Rodriguez does recover from the procedure — the Yankees announced the timetable is four-to-six months — the third baseman should no longer have serious problems with either hip.

“The biggest thing is what happens at the time of the surgery,” said Dr. James Gladstone, a sports medicine specialist and co-chief of sports medicine at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine. “If you have to carve into the bone, it slows down the recovery, but the hope is by doing this procedure, you’re preventing it from happening again.”

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The Yankees said the arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn left hip labrum, bone impingement and the correction of a cyst is similar — but not identical — to what Rodriguez had done on his right hip in 2009. It is scheduled to be performed by Dr. Bryan Kelly at Hospital for Special Surgery after first being diagnosed by Dr. Marc Philippon, who did the first procedure.

“If he recovers well, it shouldn’t slow him down,” Gladstone said.

The occurrence of another torn hip labrum and impingement could be the result of an anatomical abnormality. Gladstone and Dr. Steven Geier, director of sports medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina, agreed it is not related to Rodriguez’s admitted steroid use.

“I don’t know that there’s ever been a link,” Geier said.

Gladstone added: “To our knowledge, nothing points to that.”

Although Rodriguez, who turns 38 in July, is expected to bounce back, he may be affected down the road.

“These surgeries are tough to get over at his age,” Geier said. “You can also worry that the joint is degenerative and with all the pounding he takes, that could lead to early-onset arthritis.”

Geier added the potential arthritis would not prevent Rodriguez from playing, but it certainly would not help as he completes the five years, worth $114 million, remaining on his contract.

Whenever he does return in 2013, the doctors think Rodriguez, owner of 647 career home runs, still could be effective.

“Whenever he finishes rehabbing from this surgery, he should be done with this issue and I’d expect him to get back to wherever he was, at least in terms of the hip,” Geier said.