Alex Rodriguez Will Stay On Disabled List With Quad Strain

Alex Rodriguez isn’t quite ready to join the New York Yankees, instead staying on the disabled list with a Grade 1 strain in his left quadriceps.

The Yankees slugger has missed the entirety of the 2013 season after having hip surgery, though team officials had said he could be returning to the lineup very soon.

But a last checkup before joining the team showed his leg isn’t quite healed yet. He had been playing in Triple-A Scranton and came to the ballpark on Saturday with stiffness in the quad. Yankees officials kept him from the lineup and sent him to New York for an MRI.

They found a Grade 1 strain, which is considered the most mild.

“I am extremely disappointed with the results of the MRI and hoping to be back as soon as possible and continue with my goal of coming back and helping the Yankees win a championship,” Rodriguez said in a statement released through his public relations firm.

Alex Rodriguez is now due to head back to the team’s training complex in Tampa. Florida, for more rest and treatment. His return is unclear.

Before the setback, Yankees officials said they were hopeful of getting Rodriguez back to the field this week.

“That’s the hope,” general manager Brian Cashman said last week about A-Rod’s return. “We’ll see through the weekend. We started the 20-day rehab and once we felt he could complete the 20 days and be available to us in Texas. So let’s get through the weekend and see where he is at and see if he is major league able.”

It has been a difficult year for the Yankees on the injury front. Aside from Alex Rodriguez, there have been 15 other players placed on the disabled list, including captain Derek Jeter.