Philippon: A-Rod's range of motion is better than it was before

Earlier today in the game thread I wrote that Joe Girardi had received some text messaged from A-Rod and that the third baseman had said he was progressing nicely and was swimming and riding a bike a lot. Now here's some more good news regarding A-Rod from Jonathan Abrams of the NY Times:

And as far as the rehabilitation goes, it is proceeding well, said Dr. Marc Philippon, the orthopedic surgeon who operated on Rodriguez’s torn labrum.

“Actually, he’s ahead of schedule,” Philippon said Wednesday. “He’s a very disciplined athlete, very easy to work with. So far, we don’t have any curveballs.”

Philippon said that within a half-hour of the surgery, which was performed March 9, Rodriguez was riding a stationary bike, the normal procedure for Philippon’s patients in order to regain confidence and muscle memory.

For now, Rodriguez is limited to pool work and motion exercises that include hip rotations that simulate a swing. The rehabilitation is conducted in a separate part of the clinic.

“He already has better range of motion than he had before,” Philippon said.

Great to hear that A-Rod is ahead of schedule. Whether he's a distraction or not, the Yankees need his bat in the lineup, and the sooner he can come back the better. It's also worth noting that Abrams also said that A-Rod has been seen walking around without crutches or a limp since his surgery. So that's just more evidence that he's in good shape considering the circumstances.