When A-Rod landed on the DL on Aug. 21, it was described as a cautionary break, to ensure the third baseman would be fully healthy come September. Now that it's September, Rodriguez isn't so sure he'll return to the field as quickly as he originally thought.
On Thursday, Rodriguez did not give reporters the news they were expecting to hear. Instead of a solid return date, the third baseman said he was still unsure and that he was waiting on a full recovery.
"I just have to make sure I keep healing. I don't want to get overly confident and try to push more than I have to," Rodriguez said. "The most important stretch of our season is coming up right in front of us the next two months. If it takes an extra day or two, that's whatever it takes."
In other Yankees injury news, starting pitcher Andy Pettitte threw an intense 55-pitch simulated session on Wednesday and felt no pain in his groin. Pettitte followed a normal pitching routine, where he threw 30 pitches and rested, followed by the remaining 25 at a high intensity.
"It was another good day," Pettitte said. "I threw 30 pitches like my warmup, then I sat down for five or six minutes. Then I threw a good, hard simulated inning. I felt good. I had no discomfort in there at all."
Should all continue to go well for Pettitte, the starter could return to the Yankees' rotation by mid-September.
The Yankees suffered a minor setback during Thursday's day game against the Athletics. Outfielder Nick Swisher left the game in the first inning with knee stiffness and was replaced by Curtis Granderson in the lineup. The injury didn't stop the Yankees from sweeping the A's in the series, however, as they won 5-0 on the day with C.C. Sabathia on the mound.
Swisher is reported as day-to-day with his latest injury.