A-Rod resumes baseball drills

Apr 13, 2009 - 7:44 PM TAMPA, Florida (AP) -- Alex Rodriguez resumed drills on the baseball field Monday five weeks after hip surgery and hopes to return as "good as new."

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

"It feels a lot better than it did in spring training," Rodriguez said after the 48-minute workout. "Now it's just a matter of getting into playing shape."

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.

"Hopefully I'll be back as good as new," Rodriguez said.

He had surgery March 9 in Vail, Colo., to remove an impingement in the right hip joint and drain a cyst. He played with the bad hip during the second half of last season. He will require a second hip operation after the season, but is expected to ready for spring training 2010.

Rodriguez most likely will curtail his pregame drills once he rejoin the Yankees.

"The big thing we talked about is really monitoring my work and not to go overboard," he said. "Limiting my practice swings, limiting my workload between games. Sometimes missing batting practice two, three times a week. As it gets closer to me getting back, those things will be addressed."

Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira also was at the minor league complex Monday and underwent treatment. He didn't play over the weekend because of a sore left wrist.