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A-Rod may miss first half of season

New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez might miss the first half of next season after he has hip surgery, ESPN New York reported Monday.

Rodriguez is scheduled to have the operation in January and the recovery time is expected to be four to six months.

Rodriguez complained about hip pain during the ALCS in October, when he struggled against the Texas Rangers. He had surgery on his right hip in 2009. He had an MRI after Game 1 of the series and it checked out OK. During a recent doctor visit, however, a new injury to his left hip was revealed.

Rodriguez struggled in the postseason, going 0 for 18 with 12 strikeouts in the ALDS against the Detroit Tigers and was eventually benched.

The 37-year-old batted .272 this year with 18 home runs and 57 RBI in 122 games. His .783 OPS was its lowest since 1995.

His previous hip surgery occurred shortly after he admitted taking performance enhancing drugs. He ended the season strong and helped the Yankees win the World Series.

The Yankees may pursue depth in the infield in case Rodriguez has to miss time. Jayson Nix and Eduardo Nunez are among candidates on the roster who could fill in.

Rodriguez is still owed $114 million dollars on his contract that runs through 2017.