A-Rod Resumes On-Field Drills

Yankees slugger reports to team facility in Tampa

Alex Rodriguez has resumed drills on the baseball field five weeks after surgery on his right hip.

The New York Yankees third baseman hit 36 balls off a tee and took 42 swings during a soft-toss hitting session Monday. He also fielded 40 grounders and did light running at the team's minor league complex in Tampa, Fla.

The Yankees don't expect the three-time AL MVP to rejoin the team until about May 15. Rodriguez has been optimistic about returning sooner and said the next three to four days will be important in deciding when he can play in a minor league rehab game.

Rodriguez had surgery March 9 in Vail, Colo., to remove an impingement in the hip joint and drain a cyst.

"I'm very encouraged," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said before Sunday's game against the Kansas City Royals. "To have a labrum surgery and be doing what he is doing already is very encouraging."

With the Yankees opening a series Monday night at Tampa Bay, Girardi said he expects Rodriguez to be at the game.

Rodriguez hit .302 with an American League-leading .573 slugging percentage last season.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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