Yankees' Rodriguez to go through with hip surgery

New York Yankees superstar Alex Rodriguez, already at the center of a doping storm, will have surgery on his ailing right hip after all, MLB.com reported on Sunday.

Rodriguez is expected to miss about six to nine weeks following what doctors called a "hybrid" surgical procedure.

"The goal here is to allow Alex to rehab rapidly in a safe manner," said specialist Marc Philippon at the Steadman-Hawkins clinic in Colorado.

"The approach we're using is much safer than letting Alex play the way he is now."

A procedure to fully repair the injury, which Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said had been debated for two days, would have sidelined Rodriguez up to four months.

Cashman had said on Thursday that Rodriguez would attempt to play through the injury and postpone any surgery until after the season, which starts in April.

Now the plan is for Rodriguez to undergo a second surgery after this season to completely repair the injury.

The injury is the latest seback for the highest paid player in baseball, who admitted earlier this year that he used performance-enhancing drugs from 2001-03.

Rodriguez, a three-time Most Valuable Player, had been sent to see doctor Marc Phillipon at a clinic in Vail, Colorado, after experiencing tightness and stiffness in his right hip.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said Wednesday that the 33-year-old player had endured discomfort in his right hip since last season.

Rodriguez had been playing regularly this spring pre-season, receiving mixed reactions from fans in the wake of the steroid revelations.

On Sunday, he met with Major League Baseball investigators for two hours to discuss his previous drug use.

Rodriguez is not expected to be suspended since he tested positive before MLB had an official drug policy.

Rodriguez had been scheduled to play for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic now underway, but had to withdraw after the diagnosis.