Editing Alex Rodriguez (section)

====2009 regular season====
Prior to the 2009 season, Rodriguez was scheduled to represent the Dominican Republic in the [[2009 World Baseball Classic]], but he was forced to withdraw when an MRI revealed a [[cyst]] in his right hip. When he went to have the cyst drained, it was discovered that he was also suffering from a [[acetabular labrum|torn labrum]] in the same hip. Rodriguez opted to undergo an arthroscopic procedure with a recovery period of six to nine weeks, instead of the usual three to four months.<ref name="surgery">{{cite web|date=March 8, 2009|title=A-Rod to have arthroscopic hip surgery|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=3961898|access-date=June 4, 2009|website=[[ESPN]]|publisher=}}</ref> Although the procedure should have allowed him to make it through the season without any complications, he required a second, more extensive surgery in the off-season.<ref name="surgery"/>

After missing [[spring training]] and the first month of the season, Rodriguez returned to the Yankees in a May 8 game against the [[2009 Baltimore Orioles season|Baltimore Orioles]] and hit a three-run home run on the first pitch of his first at-bat.<ref>{{cite web|last=Hoch|first=Bryan|date=May 8, 2009|title=CC goes distance to stop Yanks' skid|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090508&content_id=4626340&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090512173139/http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090508&content_id=4626340&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy|archive-date=May 12, 2009|access-date=October 2, 2021|website=[[New York Yankees]]|publisher=[[MLB.com]]}}</ref> The Yankees had stumbled to a 13–15 record in Rodriguez's absence, and his return fortified the lineup and provided much-needed protection for three-hole hitter [[Mark Teixeira]], who was a notoriously slow starter. Rodriguez also supplied some late-game heroics. On May 16, his two-run [[walk-off home run]] in the bottom of the eleventh inning gave the Yankees a 6–4 win over the [[2009 Minnesota Twins season|Minnesota Twins]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Ghiroli|first=Brittany|date=May 16, 2009|title=Yanks walk off on A-Rod's tater in 11th|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090516&content_id=4769496&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090520012723/http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090516&content_id=4769496&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy|archive-date=May 20, 2009|access-date=October 2, 2021|website=[[New York Yankees]]|publisher=[[MLB.com]]}}</ref> One week later, he hit a game-tying solo home run in the bottom of the ninth off [[2009 Philadelphia Phillies season|Philadelphia Phillies]] closer [[Brad Lidge]] in a game the Yankees would go on to win, 5–4.<ref>{{cite web|date=May 23, 2009|title=A-Rod homers to tie, Cabrera singles for victory as Lidge falls to 0-2|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/recap/_/gameId/290523110|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211002054819/https://www.espn.com/mlb/recap/_/gameId/290523110|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 2, 2021|access-date=October 2, 2021|website=[[ESPN]]|language=en}}</ref>

By early June, the Yankees had surged to first place in the [[AL East]]. The club's fortunes changed later in the month, when Rodriguez fell into a slump that saw his batting average plummet as the Yankees fell to second place. On June 23, Rodriguez became the eighth active player to reach 8,000 career at-bats in the seventh inning of the Yankees and Braves game.<ref>{{cite web|last=Hoch|first=Bryan|date=June 24, 2009|title=With each passing day, Joba maturing|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090623&content_id=5481638&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121106053137/http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090623&content_id=5481638&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb|archive-date=November 6, 2012|access-date=August 4, 2010|website=[[MLB.com]]|publisher=[[MLB Advanced Media]]}}</ref> On June 25, Rodriguez belted homer 563 of his career, off [[2009 Atlanta Braves season|Atlanta Braves]] starter [[Derek Lowe]], and tying [[Reggie Jackson]] for 11th on the all-time home run list.<ref>{{cite web|last=Hoch|first=Bryan|date=June 25, 2009|title=Recharged A-Rod carries Yankees|url=http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090625&content_id=5523840&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090628155400/http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090625&content_id=5523840&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy|archive-date=June 28, 2009|access-date=August 4, 2010|website=[[New York Yankees]]|publisher=[[MLB.com]]}}</ref> On June 26, Rodriguez surpassed Jackson for 11th on the all-time home run list, against the [[2009 New York Mets season|New York Mets]] in the [[Subway Series]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Diamond|first=Jared|date=June 27, 2009|title=A-Rod passes Reggie with No. 564|url=http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090626&content_id=5554188&vkey=news_nyy&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090629133214/http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090626&content_id=5554188&vkey=news_nyy&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy|archive-date=June 29, 2009|access-date=August 4, 2010|website=[[New York Yankees]]|publisher=[[MLB.com]]}}</ref> and against the Angels on July 11, Rodriguez passed [[Rafael Palmeiro]] for 10th place;<ref>{{cite web|author=Roberts|first=Quinn|date=July 11, 2009|title=A-Rod now 10th all-time in home runs|url=http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090711&content_id=5826720&vkey=news_nyy&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090713074029/http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090711&content_id=5826720&vkey=news_nyy&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy|archive-date=July 13, 2009|access-date=August 4, 2010|website=[[New York Yankees]]|publisher=[[MLB.com]]}}</ref> it was his 65th home run against Anaheim, the most by any active player against an opponent.

On October 4, 2009, during the final game of the season, Rodriguez hit two home runs in the sixth inning that drove in seven runs, setting an American League record for most RBI by a batter in a single inning, and giving him his 12th consecutive season, 13 overall, of reaching 30 home runs and 100 RBIs, breaking a tie with [[Manny Ramirez]], [[Babe Ruth]] and [[Jimmie Foxx]] for the most in MLB history.<ref>{{cite news|date=October 4, 2009|title=A-Rod hits 2 HRs, drives in AL-record 7 in 6th as Yanks win|work=[[ESPN]]|agency=[[Associated Press]]|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=291004130|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120629135743/http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=291004130|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 29, 2012|access-date=October 4, 2009}}</ref>