NEW YORK -- Alex Rodriguez has been diagnosed with a Grade "one-plus" right hamstring strain, according to Yankees manager Joe Girardi, who said that he hopes the active home run leader will be able to return by the middle of the month.
Rodriguez was placed on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday after he sustained the injury running out a ground ball in the Yankees' 4-1 loss to the Orioles in Baltimore. An MRI taken there revealed the strain, and Rodriguez was re-evaluated on Friday in New York by team physician Christopher Ahmad.
"Alex is a one-plus is what they're calling it," Girardi said. "Fifteen days? That's my hope, he's back in 15 days, but we'll have to see how he heals."
A Grade 1 strain is considered to be the least severe, with Grade 3 rated as the most severe. In April 2014, former Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli sustained a Grade 2 hamstring strain while running to first base; Cervelli missed two months.
"I felt pretty good coming in, but the machine doesn't lie and we've got to be smart," Rodriguez said after his initial MRI. "There's a lot of baseball to play this year."
Rodriguez has hit five home runs this season and has 692 for his career. The 40-year-old designated hitter is batting .194 (14-for-72) with three doubles and 12 RBIs in 20 games.