Alex Rodriguez has resumed drills on the baseball field five weeks after surgery on his right hip.

The New York Yankees third baseman hit 36 balls off a tee and took 42 swings during a soft-toss hitting session Monday. He also fielded 40 grounders and did light running at the team's minor league complex.

The Yankees don't expect the three-time AL MVP to rejoin the team until about May 15. Rodriguez has been optimistic about returning sooner and said the next three to four days will be important in deciding when he can play in a minor league rehab game.

Rodriguez had surgery March 9 in Vail, Colo., to remove an impingement in the hip joint and drain a cyst.

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