Baseball, A-rod | featured news

How did the most extraordinary young player of his generation, a handsome young man who three times (three times!) was named one of People Magazine’s Most Beautiful People, a phenom who was the best shortstop in the game more or less the day he showed up — how did that guy become this A-Rod?

According to Chad Jennings of the Journal News, Alex Rodriguez was diagnosed with a slight meniscus tear in his ailing right knee. Yankees manager Joe Girardi said a decision will be made today whether A-Rod will continue to play through the pain or undergo in-season surgery, which much like fellow veteran third baseman Chipper Jones, would likely cost him a month. Either way, surgery will eventually be necessary.

Alex Rodriguez hit his 600th career home run on Wednesday, becoming the seventh player in Major League Baseball to achieve the feat and triggering new debate about his place among the game's greats after his admission that he has used performance-enhancing drugs.