As much as Alex Rodriguez's poor judgment has hampered the Yankees recently, you can't help but wonder if the club fared just as poorly in their handling of his hip issue, which ultimately resulted in a torn labrum -- and a need for surgery.
While general manager Brian Cashman insisted to reporters in spring training that the club didn't have reason to act earlier, there's certainly room to question that opinion. A MRI exam in May 2008 revealed an irregularity in Rodriguez's right hip, Cashman told reporters.
You would think the Yankees would have raised a major red flag on this situation for their premium player, who signed a record $275 million contract, with about another $30 million in incentives.
But since he didn't feel much pain after that, they did not call for another MRI exam last year, Cashman said.
"Just because they have it doesn't mean it's a problem," he told reporters after announcing the tear in Rodriguez's labrum. "Just because you have it doesn't mean you need surgery.
"So that's why you put it in the file. You treat the patient, not the symptom. You don't treat the MRI. You treat the patient."
Maybe so, but now the patient might require surgery and the Yankees' initial reaction was to hope for the best with rest and rehab and put it off until after the season.
Even manager Joe Girardi acknowledged that in-season surgery is a "possibility."
In any case, the Yankees will obviously proceed with a lot more caution now that they know the extent of the problem.
You can't help but think it's fair to question why they weren't a little more cautious from the beginning.
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