Kevin Long, New York's hitting coach, knew something was wrong with Alex Rodriguez as far back as August.

"I knew it in August," Long said. "I didn't know exactly what it was, but his lower half was not letting him do the things he's normally able to do."

He also knew there were no easy fixes.

"At that point of the season, there's not much you can do other than keep grinding," Long said. "So I wasn't surprised when I heard about the hip injury. His explosion was gone."

The Yankees are hoping that explosion returns after Rodriguez undergoes a procedure on his left hip Wednesday at the Hospital for Special Surgery to repair a torn labrum, bone impingement and cyst.