Dr. Marc Philippon, who performed Alex Rodriguez’s right hip surgery in March, practically called Rodriguez’s shot yesterday.
“His power is excellent, and his rotation and his hip is excellent,” Philippon said before Rodriguez saved the Yankees with a mammoth game-tying homer in the ninth inning of last night’s 4-3, 11-inning triumph over the Twins in Game 2 of the ALDS.
Philippon revealed before last night’s game that the superstar’s hip is almost at 100 percent and that A-Rod remains on course to avoid a second surgery.
“I love that man, obviously,” A-Rod said of Dr. Marc Philippon. “He did a nice job.”
Philippon was at Yankee Stadium to give Rodriguez a check-up, at the patient’s request. The doctor examined Rodriguez and watched him take batting practice.
“At this point in time, based on my clinical exam and what I saw in batting practice, I need [to do] a little more tests,” Philippon said. “But so far, I don’t think he will need surgery. . . . Clinically, we can’t be more pleased.”
A-Rod can be pleased, too, after he delivered his third two-out RBI single of the series to tie the game at 1-all in the sixth inning, and bailed out the Bombers with his drive off Joe Nathan in the ninth.
Philippon also said Rodriguez’s hip will keep getting better until the operation is a year old. In May, when Philippon saw Rodriguez, he estimated A-Rod’s hip was at 75-80 percent. Now, Philippon figures it to be 95 percent. And by next spring, he should be at 100.
Philippon’s estimate corresponds well with how A-Rod has performed recently, as he batted .344 with seven homers and 30 RBIs in his final 27 regular-season games and has had a spectacular ALDS.
After the game, Rodriguez said that following his surgery, he questioned whether he would have to miss the entire season.
“I remember a couple of hours after he operated, I said, ‘Am I going to be able to play this year?’ ” A-Rod said. “All you think about a hip surgery is Bo Jackson and you get scared to death, obviously.”
The surgery fixed Rodriguez’s torn right labrum, removed an impingement and drained a cyst. After he returned in May, the Yankees went an MLB-best 90-44.
–Additional reporting
by George A. King III