Alex Rodriguez gets treated

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Hampered by injuries at the end of last season, New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez turned to a new therapy to treat his knee and shoulder.

Alex Rodriguez

#13 3B
New York Yankees

2011 STATS

• GM99
• HR16
• RBI62
• R67
• OBP.362
• AVG.276

Rodriguez traveled to Germany to receive Orthokine therapy on his right knee and left shoulder, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant recommended the procedure after having it performed on his balky knee and ankle.

The procedure uses the patient's own blood, which is drawn from the arm and put into a centrifuge to separate out a certain protein. The mix with the protein is then injected into the affected joint.

Rodriguez's treatment was first reported by the New York Post.

Cashman says Major League Baseball and WADA have approved the procedure, and that it is also performed in the United States. The Yankees say Rodriguez went to the doctor in Germany because he's at the top of this field.

Rodriguez had surgery on his right knee last July and saw his power drop in the second half and postseason. He played in 99 games and hit 16 home runs. He has 629 career homers. He hit only .111 with no homers and three RBIs in the division series loss to the Tigers.

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Cashman says Rodriguez is "100 percent" right now and that there are "no red flags" going into spring training. Cashman says he expects Rodriguez to be able to play every day.

Despite having the procedure done to his ankle just weeks before the start of the NBA season, Bryant was on the court for the Lakers' opener.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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