Alex Rodriguez's surgery remains on hold

New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez still hasn’t undergone surgery on his hip, and a procedure isn’t expected to be performed until the middle of this month, at the earliest, according to Dan Martin of The New York Post.

No date has been set for Alex Rodriguez’s hip surgery and it’s not expected to be performed until the middle of the month — at the earliest.

For this reason, Martin adds that Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has been unable to "hazard a guess" regarding a potential return date for Rodriguez.

It’s been clear that Rodriguez required surgery on his hip since early December. However, the procedure has been delayed to allow the veteran to build up the strength required to endure the recovery process, which is expected to extend through the first half of the 2013 season.

Rodriguez, 37, experienced his fourth-straight season of decline in 2012. It marked the first time since 1995 that the slugger’s OPS dropped below .800, as he hit .272/.353/.430 with 17 doubles and 18 home runs over 463 at-bats.

In anticipation of Rodriguez’s extended absence, the Yankees went out and signed veteran third baseman Kevin Youkilis earlier this offseason. Rodriguez is set to make $28 million this season and will earn another $86 million from 2014-17.