A-Rod 'day-to-day' with tendinitis

The Yankees might have a new cheer after getting the diagnosis on Alex Rodriguez: Hip, Hip, Hooray, he’s day-to-day!

An MRI exam Friday revealed tendinitis in the Yankees third baseman’s right hip flexor. The injury kept him out of Friday night’s 4-3 victory over the Astros and may cause him to miss the rest of the weekend.

He was also out of Saturday's game against Houston. Kevin Russo was started in Rodriguez's spot at third base, batting ninth.

The diagnosis was viewed as good news at Yankee Stadium, because there was a concern this latest injury could be related to Rodriguez’s surgically repaired right hip labrum.

“Overall I feel very happy, very relieved,” Rodriguez said. “I spent 30 minutes in that MRI machine today. You go in hoping for the best and today we got a really good answer.”

Rodriguez left Thursday’s game in Baltimore after one inning with tightness in his leg. He said he originally felt the problem Sunday in Toronto and was removed from that game in the ninth inning.

The $275 million man played Tuesday and Wednesday in Baltimore without a problem, but stiffened up Thursday night against the Orioles. He spent last night in the trainer’s room.

With an off-day Monday, the Yankees may decide to rest Rodriguez until Tuesday’s game with the Phillies.

Rodriguez met with team physician Dr. Christopher Ahmad Friday in New York. Ahmad also consulted Dr. Marc Philippon, the surgeon who operated on Rodriguez in March 2009. The immediate concern was that the injury could be a recurrence of the hip issues that forced Rodriguez to have surgery and miss the first 28 games of last season.

“If it’s my right side, I think everyone automatically -- I know I do -- think of my hip first,” Rodriguez said. “Is that a byproduct of my hip? I think those are all questions that Ahmad is much better equipped to answer, and Philippon as well.”

Dr. Sharon Hame, an orthopedic surgeon at the UCLA Medical Center, said there would not be a direct correlation between the labrum issue and the tendinitis, but it could be related to weakness in his hip.

“In any joint that’s had surgery you can get tendinitis in that area,” Hame said. “Anytime there’s irritation of the tendon, it’s because it’s been working overtime compensating for something.”

Rodriguez engages in vigorous stretching and exercises on the hip before games. Hame said that could bring on tendinitis. Rodriguez’s latest problem is not in the exact same area as last year’s issue. The hip flexor is a group of three muscles that run from the spine to the thigh.

Tendinitis is treated with rest, ice and stretching, Hame said. Girardi was unsure of how much time Rodriguez might miss.

“It might [take time], it might not,” Girardi said. “Whatever it is we’ll deal with it. To me the good thing is it’s not his labrum that he had surgery on. It’s not the hip socket which he had surgery on. To me this is as good news as we could have got.”

Rodriguez turns 35 next month and Girardi has mentioned trying to give him rest by using him as the designated hitter or resting him fully.